Reap the Whirlwind
by LadyDeb1970
Summary: Fifth in the 'Birthright' series: Owen's first case with the new team brings him face-to-face with his past, when an old enemy abducts Ailsa.
1. Prologue: Deja Vu All Over Again

Reap the Whirlwind

Prologue

Déjà Vu All Over Again

Disclaimer: Captain Jack Harkness, Dr. Owen Harper, Agent Rex Matheson, Esther Drummond, et al, are not mine. They belong to Russell T. Davies, the BBC, and Starz Studios. However, the Tregarths and the Hallorans and their friends and neighbors do belong to me. Don't mind if you borrow them, just ask first and return them in reasonably decent condition.

Recap of the previous stories: in _The Rising__, _Jack and Rex learn from Carlyon Tregarth, a prior director of Torchwood Cardiff, that Esther is alive and a prisoner of the Families. They join forces with the Tregarths to rescue Esther and Natalie Tregarth, who went undercover to protect Esther. Following the successful rescue, Carlyon invites Jack to stay. In _Torn Asunder__, _it's discovered thata new Rifthas opened near the homestead. With the opening of the new Rift (and a meeting with an old friend), Jack agrees to stay with the new Torchwood. In _The Awakening_, Carlyon's wife Sophia awakens nearly thirty-five years after being put into cryo-stasis and Natalie learns the truth about her parentage. But that's only the beginning, as Carlyon admits that the directors of Torchwood in 1965 knew how to destroy the 456. This devastates Jack, who leaves to investigate a Rift spike alone. And finally, in _The Homecoming_, parasites come through the Rift, with the purpose of causing as much mayhem as possible. The first human they encounter after taking over five friends is Jack Harkness, who is savagely beaten for interfering with their fun. However, another human follows them through: Dr. Owen Harper. Meanwhile the morning after Owen's arrival, Mickey and Martha arrive for a visit. And that's four stories and 171,152 words summed up in 208 words.

Tregarth Homestead, Oklahoma

Two weeks before Christmas, 2011

"So, why am I doing this, instead of World War II, or the doctor, or someone else?" Rex Matheson asked as he knelt on the floor of the bunkhouse. His blonde companion simply offered a cheeky grin, and Rex rolled his eyes. _Right. More working, less talking_. Ever since they joined Torchwood, Esther picked up even more bad habits from World War II, including the annoying ability to turn even the most innocent things into innuendos. How in the hell you learned that, he wasn't sure, but she figured out a way to do that.

"I could say that you're the only one full of enough hot air, but the truth is, anyone can work this thing. No, Jack accompanied Natalie to pick out a puppy for Ailsa; Owen, Jason and Lucas are installing the last of the medical software onto the computers in the house. Carlyon's joints won't allow him to do it. Octavia, Sophia and Priscilla took Adriane into Lawton to shop for a dress for the dance at the end of the week," Esther recited as Rex stepped away from the airbed. Rex rolled his eyes, even though something about Esther's information bothered him. Oh yes. How could he forget the dance? To celebrate the end of Miracle Day and steady improvement of the local economy (to say nothing of Christmas rapidly approaching), the nearest town was holding a dance at the community center. It started with Adriane wanting a new dress, and her mother, older aunt, and grandmother followed suit. He was a bit surprised that Natalie and Esther didn't accompany them, but Sophia merely smiled and said there would be a second trip for those two. Esther added, sounding more than a little distracted, "Sophia asked me to finish up the bunkhouse since it's mostly clean. They're putting the idea of turning the bunkhouse into a bunkhouse on hold for now."

"So instead, it's gonna be a place for World War II or whoever's manning the Hub to crash if they don't have the energy to come back to the house. Aren't there living quarters in the Hub?" Rex inquired, barely biting back a yelp when Esther accidently (on purpose) stepped on his foot. Brat! He glared at his former assistant, but she merely smiled sweetly at him as she made the bed. Rex moved back out of the way, wary of getting his feet stepped on again. And she was quite capable of doing just that. He added after a moment, "And why do you wanna go to that dance anyhow?" This time, he was hit with a particularly dark glare.

"Because it sounds like fun and I think we could all use some fun. Yes, Mickey and Martha just left a few weeks ago, which was a lot of fun, and yes, we had a wonderful time at Thanksgiving, but this is for the community. And the way I hear it, Matthew Halloran let it be known around the community that we helped to bring the Miracle to an end. I'm dying to see how many people want to see if Jack is really as good-looking as Ava Halloran keeps telling people that he is," Esther snickered. Rex rolled his eyes once again and then yelped when Esther once more (accidently on purpose) stepped on his foot. Dammit, that was twice! The blonde girl merely smiled sweetly and said, "Behave. Or people will start thinking that you're jealous of Jack." Rex sputtered for several moments, and Esther just smiled.

After a moment, she added, "Besides, Ava told me that she's taking the girls, and I want to see Nicky dancing with them both. The last time I talked to Alys and Melanie on the phone, they couldn't stop talking about Nicky. According to my girls, he's the nicest, most amazing, best person in the world, after me." She grinned impishly and returned her attention to tucking the sheets under the bed, adding absently, "Oh, and can you pass me the pillows? Thanks." Rex reluctantly handed the requested items to her from their position in the chair. Over the last few days, since the departure of Mickey and Martha Smith, Esther went to work on the bunkhouse, transforming it into a small apartment. For the moment, camping equipment was doubling as furnishings. That included the bed (one of those deluxe air mattresses that was almost the size of a real mattress), a cabana for showering (complete with a portable shower head, towels, and soap), and even a camp toilet (_WTF_). Evidently, buying camping equipment was less expensive than putting in a proper bed and plumbing at this point in time. Jack observed in an undertone while the items were being moved into the bunkhouse that if he needed to use the loo that badly, he'd make a beeline into the house. Rex could only agree.

"So, what are you doing next?" Rex asked, even though he was sure that he didn't want to know. Before getting to work on the table, Esther set up a small camp table to double as a desk and/or dinner table and chair. However, just to be safe, he carefully shuffled out of the way, so she couldn't step on his foot. Again. Octavia kicked his ankle or shins when she thought he was getting out of line, and he honestly wasn't sure which one was more painful. And then Esther turned to smile at him, a particularly devilish smile that made him want to run for the hills. When she smiled like that, trouble usually followed, and not the good kind.

"Actually, I plan on returning the favor before the dance by helping Adriane with her make-up. I don't know if you've noticed, but she's been making eyes at Owen since he arrived, and he's certainly noticed her. I don't think he'll make a move-I don't think either of them is ready for that yet, but she definitely wants to get his attention," Esther replied. Rex blinked at her in astonishment. Seriously? She was playing matchmaker for Adriane and Harper? _Seriously_? Esther added, "And no, I'm not matchmaking. But Adriane decided to use me as a make-up canvas, and this is a good time to get payback." That actually was even scarier to him. Esther added, almost under her breath, "I just hope that Carlyon doesn't throw a hissy fit to end all hissy fits when he finds out that Nat is getting a dog without asking him first."

Rex froze. Yes. That was what bothered him ever since Esther first mentioned it. While Natalie made all the decisions with regards to the rearing of her daughter, she spoke to her parents about anything that impacted the rest of the family: especially the addition of pets. Esther straightened up as Rex asked slowly, "And she took Jack with her?" In spite of himself, his mind was going to another day, not so long ago, and Esther turned to face him, looking concerned as well. Rex thought about the last time he saw Natalie, if she was behaving differently. She seemed quiet and tense earlier in the day, and he thought at the time that she was just fretting over Ailsa being away on a field trip. School started up just a few days after Mickey and Martha's return to England and Ailsa was excited to be a 'big girl' and go to school.

"You don't think. . .?" Esther began, looking worried. Rex merely looked at her. It was then that their phones went off at the same time. Esther dug into her jeans for her cell, as Rex retrieved his own from his back pocket. She murmured, "Oh my God." Rex could only nod as he read over the text he just received from Jack. Yeah. '_Oh my God'_ worked quite well in the situation. Esther's eyes met Rex's as she slid her phone shut decisively, saying, "Let's go." Rex followed the determined blonde from the bunkhouse. They had work to do.

TBC


	2. Chapter 1: Fear Itself

Author's Notes: So, I said originally that the title of this story would be _Reaping the Whirlwind_, but the more I looked at it, the more 'off' it seemed. _Reap The Whirlwind_ sounds much better to my ears/eyes/whatever. In any event, in this chapter, we have the events leading up to Esther and Rex's discovery. In the next chapter, Natalie's choice will become clear and the rescue of Ailsa will take place, and then the rest of the story deals with the Tregarths' (and Jack's) response and reactions to the whole mess (including what happens to Ailsa's kidnapper). There's also been a slight change of plan with regard to the villains in this story.

Chapter One

Fear Itself

Tregarth Homestead, Oklahoma

Forty-five minutes earlier

"How is Natalie handling Ailsa's first field trip?" Sophia Tregarth asked her oldest daughter as they emptied the dishwasher. Over the last few weeks, since Priscilla told Natalie about the end of her relationship with Will, the growing friendship between the book-end sisters, as Jack called them, slowly grew stronger. Priscilla sighed deeply, and Sophia grinned at her daughter, saying, "It could be worse. I happen to remember having what's now called a meltdown when you went to London, and you were ten years old."

"I remember that, too. It's just. . .I'm realizing that maybe we haven't been fair to Nat. And before you say it, I know, life isn't fair, and anyone who says it is, is selling something. It's just that. . . We tell her one minute that we have to be on our guard; and in the very next, mock her for having separation anxiety. The thing is, she has every right to feel this way. With everything that's gone on, just in the last two years, I'd honestly be more worried if she didn't have separation anxiety," Priscilla replied as she finished stacking the plates. She shook her head, adding, "God forbid if anything were to happen to Ailsa, because Natalie will never forgive us for not taking her worries seriously."

"You really think that's possible? Not that Natalie won't forgive us, because I know that you're right about that, but that something will happen?" her mother asked. Priscilla just paused long enough from putting the plates in the cabinet to give her mother a Look, and was rewarded with, "Right. How silly of me to even ask. We're Torchwood, after all, and the impossible is mundane. And the Families are still out there, along with other individuals and groups that Torchwood has pissed off. Maybe Natalie isn't being such a worrywart, after all." Priscilla nodded. Yes, exactly. Her mother hummed a bit under her breath.

After a moment, she looked back to Priscilla and said, sounding very determined, "All right. You finish up in here, since this is your domain. I need to give Esther her assignment for today, since Octavia is coming with us, and then check with Owen, make sure he's doing okay in his new med-bay. And then, we'll head into town for Adriane's dress. I'll have Jason and Lucas send anything untoward to my cell. That way, we can monitor the situation, even if Natalie turns out to be wrong, without shorting Adriane." Priscilla needed only a minute to think about that, and then she nodded. Yes, that was the best solution all around. She and Natalie were becoming friends, and she didn't want anything to endanger that.

Mama kissed her cheek, adding, "And Priscilla? If your sister has cause to worry, we're going to make an example out of whoever has made the mistake of targeting Ailsa and Natalie. In some ways, they're the most vulnerable, with the least amount of training, so they would be the first targeted. So, if they've made the mistake of harming my youngest daughter or granddaughter, they will pay dearly. That, I promise you." Her mother's cool, matter-of-fact observation sent chills down Priscilla's spine, even as the younger-looking woman left the kitchen to carry out her mentioned errands.

Okay. That was a bit on the scary side. While her mother tended to be a gentle person (a lot like Natalie, in fact), that very gentleness made her dangerous when she was pushed too far. People made the assumption that Priscilla was gentle, because she was more of a pacifist than her father and middle sister. The truth was just the opposite. She was an avowed pacifist because her own rage terrified her; because she knew that once the djinn was freed, she would be hard pressed to put it back into the bottle. She had the same potential for deadly violence that both of her sisters did, that Jack did, that her parents did. What set her apart wasn't her pacifism, but her understanding that it didn't make her superior. She knew better. She was a pacifist because she couldn't control her rage once it was set free.

The last time her rage was allowed free rein; well, it was shortly after her Juliana died. Even now, twenty-six years later, the memories were enough to bring tears to Priscilla's eyes. She held her daughter in her arms, marveled at how beautiful and how perfect she was, and twenty-four hours later, her baby was dead. At first, Priscilla was too stunned, too shocked, too devastated by the loss of her child, still too weak from childbirth. And then, as the weeks passed and her strength returned, the numbness gave way to a white-hot rage that she wouldn't feel again until her brother-in-law David was murdered. About a month after Juliana's death, maybe twenty minutes after Nat left for school, Priscilla was wandering around in the house when she made her way into Natalie's room. There, she found her sister's diary, in which she wrote in big letters about how excited she was to be a big sister soon, followed by an entry in which she talked about being sad, and being sad for her mommy. Rather than comforting her, rather than making her cry, Priscilla's rage ignited. When she returned to herself, her daughter/sister's room was completely destroyed. All of the furniture was gone, reduced to pick-up sticks.

Priscilla's fury gave way to devastation and she collapsed to her knees in Natalie's room, howling her grief and rage and guilt and heartbreak. Once her tears were spent, she shakily pulled herself to her feet, lurched out of the room, and asked her father to take her shopping for furniture. He took one look at her ravaged face and quietly went into Natalie's room. When he came out, he was hollow-eyed with shock, but took her hand and led her to the car. There was a beautiful bedroom set she caught Natalie eyeing with longing the last time they went to the furniture store, looking for new lamps. Between Priscilla and their father, they figured out a way to pay for the entire set at one time and have it delivered that day. Natalie was overjoyed, of course, but Priscilla still saw the shadows in her baby sister's eyes, and knew that Natalie suspected there was more to her new room than the explanation she was given: that she took such good care of Priscilla after Juliana's death, they thought she deserved it.

Oh yes. She knew what the consequences were for losing her temper, the consequences to herself and to others. She trashed her baby sister's room after losing her older daughter, and completely destroyed a woman for igniting a feud that resulted in harm to that same baby sister. It would have been overstating things to say that she was proud of what she did, but she certainly wasn't ashamed of it either. One of the last things Ryder Halloran said before the Newman family left town after their stupid feud nearly got Natalie killed nearly a decade earlier was that the matriarch should be pleased Priscilla held her temper. Considering what Priscilla did to her reputation, she wasn't entirely sure if the idiot believed Ryder or not, but he was right. Once she accepted in her heart, as well as her mind, that her sister would be okay, she wanted to beat the self-centered bitch to death. Instead, she chose to ruin her. And she had no issue with doing it again. Just because she was a pacifist didn't mean she didn't believe in punishing the guilty.

TWTWTWTWTWTW

Well, his med-bay was starting to take shape. Owen Harper looked around appreciatively. All of the medical software was uploaded down here, and he would take it upstairs in a few minutes to upload it in the house. Natalie already had the filing cabinets in good condition: not only were his medical files in the cabinet in proper alphabetical order, but she scrubbed the cabinets clean. Evidently, she and Esther both took to cleaning things when they were upset. Earlier in the week, Nat argued with Octavia (evidently, about Natalie's obvious attraction to Jack), and came down to the base to clean up the file cabinets, since Esther had the bunkhouse.

And speaking of the bunkhouse, he had to admit, he was impressed. Carlyon Tregarth showed him pictures of that place before Esther attacked the dirt, cobwebs, and blood (and after he started moving things downstairs into the base). She did one helluva job on it. Now, from what he heard, her current project was to furnish it as an apartment. At the moment, they were working out plumbing, so it was suggested that camping gear would be used for the shower and toilet. Owen didn't go camping, so he didn't know what was available until Natalie pulled up some websites in the main house to show him. He looked at her, looked at the website, looked at her again, and muttered, '_holy hell, that might actually make camping tolerable_.' She laughed at that, patted his cheek, and went back to what she was doing.

According to Sophia, Esther's next project would be to start figuring out the sizes of the mattresses in the base to buy bed sheets and blankets, along with duvets (or comforters, as they were called here). Owen raised his eyebrows at that, as it was hardly something that he thought about in Cardiff, and Sophia observed, "Well, I'm a woman, Owen, I look at things like that." Right. And let it go at that. Instead, he next asked if Esther knew about that. Sophia smirked and replied, "Not yet, but she'll find out soon enough." Owen could only think of a comment that Natalie made sometimes: see my previous response, then lather, rinse and repeat. He said as much to Sophia, and was rewarded with a peal of laughter.

The room where Tosh was kept was tentatively called the morgue. Her coffin/sarcophagus was the only one upright. All others were flat on the floor, and some of them were stacked up to the ceiling. All of them were refrigerated, much to Owen's relief. They were all former Torchwood operatives, and Carlyon was still working out what would be done for future dead bodies. There was some scuttlebutt around the house about another house in another state, but he didn't hear anything to confirm that, and Owen was loath to simply accept that.

During quiet times, he learned more about Jack's past with Torchwood from Carlyon, and wasn't that a story and a half? Hearing the details made Owen cringe, especially when he realized how an immortal human being would be used. And he didn't think Alex whoever did Jack any favors, but Owen couldn't deny that Jack was the only one strong enough to make the ugly choices that were so necessary. Given what he learned, it really wasn't a surprise that Jack left Earth after Ianto and his grandson's deaths. It was more of a surprise that he didn't leave earlier. Everyone had their limits, after all, and Owen knew that there would come a time when Jack would find it necessary to make those ugly decisions once more. The difference was, Carlyon acknowledged, he would have people beside him now who would support him, instead of castigating him for being heartless. Owen flinched, but couldn't argue.

For now, however, Jack was the field team leader, which took that heavy burden from his shoulders. As yet, Owen hadn't accompanied him on a mission. Partly because Owen was still getting his med-bay in order, but also because Jack figured out that it was Owen who decked Matheson. Esther swore upon the lives of her young nieces that she didn't tell him, and Owen believed her. No, Jack figured it out on his own, and he was keeping Owen and Matheson separate as much as possible until they worked things out. Which they largely had, but Owen was still learning to trust Matheson. Well, he was still learning to trust them all, but Matheson was a special breed of annoying. He was too much like Owen sometimes, and gave the doctor an all-new appreciation for what he put Jack through.

He also sometimes found Octavia annoying, though not as nearly as annoying as her boyfriend. Yeah, they were shagging, sometimes rather loudly, and the next time Matheson gave Jack a hard time for '_playing hide the salami_' with Owen, he'd deck him (again). He and Octavia could be heard throughout the entire house, while Jack and Owen had the sound-proof room. He found that out the hard way (or was it easy way?) when his night terrors brought no one running. Owen asked about it the following morning at the breakfast table, only to learn that no one heard his screams, and Jack was out checking something in the base. Natalie was extremely apologetic and just as worried, but once he knew that no one came because they didn't hear (rather than didn't care), Owen reassured her that everything was fine.

She evidently didn't believe him, because each afternoon he took a nap after a bad night, he woke up to find Ailsa cuddled up against him. Evidently, while he was sleeping, Natalie either carried her daughter into the room he shared with Jack, or encouraged the little girl to go to Owen. And he was still wrapping his mind around that, because Ailsa dubbed him the 'silly, sad man.' When she first met Jack, she called him the 'pretty and sad' man, while Matheson was 'the silly and funny man,' and apparently, Owen was a combination of the two. He wasn't very comfortable around kids, but as was the case with Jack, Ailsa didn't let that stop her. She routinely crawled into his lap or cuddled with him if she thought he was sad, whether he wanted her to or not. Natalie admitted ruefully that the child's birth mother Beatriz was the same way.

He wondered briefly if anyone bothered to warn Natalie that Torchwood had enemies almost literally coming out of the woodwork. She probably figured that out on her own; it seemed she figured a lot of things out on her own, from what Owen observed during the last few weeks. She laughed when people called her 'empathetic' or even 'compassionate,' much less 'intuitive.' But did have a gift for cutting through the bullshit, and she probably did know that she would be a target, thanks to her father being a Torchwood director. Really, it didn't take a member of Mensa to know that (or, as he heard Priscilla say once or twice, it didn't take a Rhodes Scholar).

Never mind the Families, Torchwood had other enemies, including the Colasanto bint (yeah, she was dead, but there were others of her kind, no doubt). Regardless of what he was told, Owen still believed that she was working with the Families. If she wanted Jack's attention, all she needed to do was sending him a cryptic text or email, ignite his nearly-legendary curiosity. Instead, she used innocent people, and if the Families hadn't blown her to Kingdom Come (along with their tool and another agent), he would have done it himself. On the other hand, didn't that suicide bomber survive getting blown up and having his head separated from his body? Maybe she and the others were alive, and just wished that they were dead. Either way, Owen wouldn't waste tears on her. Not after what she did.

Anyhow, Owen might not be a father, but he could understand why Nat would be anxious about her daughter's very first field trip. Hell, Jack agreed with him, familiar shadows creeping back into his eyes. Owen tried not to think about Jack's family, because every time he did think about it, he wanted to smash something. So, when Octavia started teasing her sister that morning about wanting to wrap Ailsa in cotton to keep her safe, Owen did what he always did when he had an opinion about something: he put his two bits in, this time by defending Natalie. Octavia still blew him off, but Owen didn't care. They had enough trouble, thanks to the Rift and the Families: there was no reason to go borrowing more.

Not for the first time, he wished that Ianto or Tosh was here. If someone told him years earlier that he'd miss Ianto, he probably would have laughed in their faces or decked them. Maybe both, depending on his mood. Tosh, there was no question of missing Tosh. For all her love of technology and gadgets, she was also one of the most humane people he'd ever known. He had only to remember her after she and Jack returned from 1941, how she quietly went into his office to comfort him. He remembered how she ran into Jack's embrace after his return from the dead, after he died for their stupidity, for their selfishness. Owen blinked back tears, remembering those horrible days.

Could he do that again? Could he betray Jack's trust again? Doing it once nearly destroyed him, and Owen shuddered. No. No, he couldn't go through that again. What they never told you was that when you betrayed someone, you didn't just hurt that person. Oh, no. No, you also hurt yourself. It cut slices out of your soul, and each betrayal cut more away until there was nothing left. People who thought they could betray other people and not pay a price were just deluding themselves. Sooner or later, a price would be paid.

TWTWTWTWTWTW

She was being stupid. Really, she knew she was being stupid. Before the Miracle, children went on field trips all the time. Natalie had vague memories of being very small when she went to the Oklahoma City Zoo with her class and clinging to her mother/sister's hand, because Priscilla was one of the chaperones. This wasn't exactly a field trip, although that's what they were calling it. In the months after Miracle Day ended, the school was stripped of everything and while it was being put back together, they were holding classes in various locations. To reward the kids for their patience with the constant changes, the principal of the school decided that all six grades of the elementary school would have an outing to a local park.

Ailsa had been bouncing off the walls all week, so excited about her very first field trip. So excited, in fact, that Jack refrained from making a comment about 'having an outing,' for which Natalie was extremely grateful. She wasn't sure she was ready to explain that yet. On the other hand, it may not have mattered. Ailsa's standard response to any comment that she didn't understand was to roll her eyes and tell whoever said it that they were silly. Right. And leave it at that, at least for now.

All of which left Natalie feeling at loose ends. She volunteered to be a chaperone, but was told by Ailsa's kindergarten teacher that they had enough adult supervision. The mother of Ailsa's best friend Tessa was among the chaperones, as was the principal of the school, and Natalie knew that Magdalena would watch over Ailsa like a mama bear. She was probably just dealing with an early onset of 'empty-nest.' She and Ailsa were rarely separated since the little girl's birth, aside from those months she spent undercover. Her little girl was growing up, taking her first steps into a larger world, and there would come a time when she wouldn't need Natalie any more. She wondered briefly if this was how Sophia felt when she realized that Priscilla raised Natalie, and shuddered a little at that.

Natalie sighed and tried to turn her attention to her current Torchwood project. Before the original Hub was destroyed (and Jack along with it), her father spent the previous nine years hacking into the CCTV and archives information, and downloading everything. Natalie's job as Jack's chief administrator was to print out everything, so they had a hard copy of all files, in addition to having the files electronically. One copy would remain in the base, while the other copy would be put into safety deposit boxes in the bank. Oh yes, and there would also remain a copy on the flash drive. This morning, her father added to her misery by informing her that before leaving Cardiff more than forty years earlier, he scanned all the documentation in the archives (admittedly leaving it one helluva mess) and she needed to include that information. And oh yes, he was giving her this project to keep from fretting overmuch about Ailsa and mitigating her separation anxiety. She briefly considered shoving the hard-copy files she had printed out so far up his ass, but decided against it. That would be a waste of three hours of work, and Natalie didn't feel like starting over from scratch.

Jack wandered in and out of the room which would be the file/archives room when she was finished (sometime in 2013, if she was lucky), and if he didn't seem too fidgety, she'd let him help by stapling things together, or by attaching labels to the files. She couldn't imagine the memories this room and this information was bringing back for him. She couldn't imagine living as long as he had, even before his brother buried him underground for all those years. That was something that she talked about with her sisters one afternoon while Jack was secluded with their father: Jack's brother Gray. Natalie couldn't imagine ever hating either of her sisters that much. Even as devastated as she was when she found out that Priscilla was her sister, rather than her mother, it wasn't because she was truly angry or upset that Sophia was her mother. It was because they lied to her for nearly thirty-five years. What kind of torment would be enough for her to turn against Priscilla and Octavia like that?

She didn't know. And as much as she hated what Gray did to Jack, to Tosh (who sounded beautiful), to Owen and to Cardiff as a whole, she hated the monsters who took him even more. He was just a little boy, for God's sake, and she hoped that they were wiped out in turn. She had no trouble forgiving Jack, she found. He believed that he let go of Gray's hand, but how could he be sure? Did he remember releasing Gray's hand? How could he, given how chaotic it was? Natalie shook her head, muttering under her breath about thinking too hard that happened three thousand years in the future, or twenty years in the past, or two thousand years in the past, depending on your perspective.

A third year was completed (thus improving the likelihood of her finishing with the project sometime this year) when her cell rang, and Natalie asked absently (without looking at the number), "This is Natalie Tregarth." A low chuckle turned her blood to ice, and raised the hair on the back of her neck. Someone who responded to your greeting with a laugh wasn't a very good sign. It was like being back at college, when she and her roommate were the targets of obscene phone calls. But she wasn't in college any more. More to the point, the list of people who had her cell phone number was very, very short. The list of people who had her cell phone number and didn't belong to her family was even shorter. Trying for bravado, she added, "You have exactly ten seconds to tell me who you are and what you want. After that, I do a backward trace on this call and believe me, you won't like the consequences." There was a moment of stunned silence, as if the caller expected her to react in any way other than that.

"Oh, all right. I suppose it was too much to ask that you wail and gnash your teeth," an altogether-too-familiar voice said begrudgingly, almost sulking. Natalie's heart seemed to take up residence in her throat. She knew that voice. She heard it every time she picked up her daughter at school. This was a bad thing. This was a very bad thing. Even so, she maintained a stony silence as her caller sighed, "And your silence sounds pissed off, rather than cowed. Fine, then, I'll cut to the chase. If you ever want to see your daughter again, you'll bring Jack Harkness to a set of coordinates I'm sending to your phone. Oh, and bring your own car. We have it bugged. It really was quite easy. I just had to walk your brat to your Jeep and wait until your attention was on her." She was _bragging_ about this? And then the other part of the paragraph caught up with her brain.

Lola Wycliffe told her that she needed to bring Jack to a rendezvous. Natalie felt as though she'd been punched in the chest. They wanted her to betray Jack. Oh God. What was she supposed to do? Natalie didn't know what to do, except buy time. She swallowed hard, trying for what her sister Octavia called their mother's '_please, biatch_' tone, "And why should I believe that? I mean, really? For all I know, this could be somebody's idea of a prank. There are people with incredibly cruel senses of humor, after all. And I swear to you right now, if anything happens to my little girl, I _will_ beat the ever-living shit out of whoever's responsible."

"You're asking for proof? Fine. To prove that we bugged your Jeep, you and that bimbo were discussing Captain Harkness and the likelihood she has of getting him onto the dance floor, the last time the two of you went into town," Ms. Wycliffe retorted, her amusement sounding strained. Natalie closed her eyes. Yeah, they did. They also giggled over which outfit he might wear, because hot damn, he was friggin' gorgeous no matter what he wore. Her Jeep was bugged. Her Jeep was bugged, her daughter was depending on her, and she had to do what was best for Ailsa. The trouble was, she couldn't think right now what was best for Ailsa. Wycliffe added rudely, "And don't make promises you can't keep."

"Well, fine, you bugged my Jeep, bully for you. Oh, wait a minute, that's right, that's exactly what people like you are: bullies. What's to stop me from taking another car? I don't trust you to return my daughter even if I turn Jack over to you!" Natalie retorted bitterly. They had her little girl, they had her baby! What was she supposed to do? Not for the first time, she wished she asked Octavia more questions about her police training once she joined Torchwood. No matter who had her daughter, she should have realized that Ailsa would be a target.

"If you take another car, then I will call you back and let you listen while I blow your little brat's brains out! And if you don't leave within the next five minutes, I'll do the same!" came the stressed response. Natalie would have smiled, especially after she heard the other woman curse and cry out in pain, as well as Ailsa yelling at her teacher. However, right now, another option was taken away from her. And she knew for certain that the bitch really did have her daughter. The Jeep was bugged. The bitch would kill Ailsa if she didn't take the Jeep. She couldn't do this alone, and she didn't know how to ask for help. God, why couldn't she think properly? All she could think of what she would do if someone hurt her baby.

Her mind was working furiously, trying to come up with a plan and discarding each one as too risky. She had only five minutes to get on the road, which meant she had a grand total of two minutes to get Jack to come with her. Maybe she could figure out a way to warn him on the way, but how did she do that when the Jeep was bugged? It wasn't as if she could use hand signals or write things out as she was driving! Well, she supposed she _could_, but it would be a really, really bad idea all around.

Taking her silence for acquiescence, her daughter's (bitch) teacher continued, "Now, I'm transmitting the coordinates. And don't be late." Natalie shuddered, holding the phone away from her as the coordinates were transmitted. Whatever else happened, she had to get on the road, now. The rendezvous site was thirty minutes from the house. That was thirty minutes she could use, figuring out a plan that might actually work. She had to save her daughter, but could she really do that to Jack?

TBC


	3. Chapter 2: Let Slip the Dogs of War

Author's Notes: Here we have Jack and Natalie working out a plan to rescue Ailsa; the rest of the branch working things out on their end; the discovery of a new tool for the team to use; and the revelation of who actually is responsible for the kidnapping. Oh, and Ailsa's kidnapper learning the hard way that the quiet ones are often the most dangerous. Oh, and a quick warning: a little more violence and Nat showing what she's learned from Rex and Owen in terms of language.

Chapter Two

Let Slip the Dogs of War

Unknown location, Oklahoma

Approximately ten minutes after the call to Natalie Tregarth

Something was very wrong here.

First, Natalie asked him if he'd like to take a ride with her. Now, they got along very well, aside from his teasing and her occasionally-violent reaction, and she was always willing to stand at his side. However, by and large, Natalie didn't ask him to take a ride with her. If she invited anyone, it was usually Esther or someone else she was comfortable with. And she was _not_ comfortable with him, much as that pained him. So for her to ask him to take a ride with her, that was the first indication that something was terribly wrong. Besides, he couldn't help but remember the last time someone said, '_oh, Jack, would you mind helping me with some things in the car_?' At least this time, he didn't end up with an electrical shock at the base of his skull, a pounding headache, and the discovery that his hands and feet were tied. That was something, at least. Yes, he forgave, but that didn't mean he forgot. That didn't mean he wasn't wary when he found himself in a similar situation.

However, it also didn't alleviate his worry, especially not when she told him as they walked toward her Jeep, that she wanted to buy a puppy for Ailsa for Christmas and his input would be very helpful. In the first place, she made sure that Esther heard her telling Jack where they were going. Either she was trying to leave a trail of breadcrumbs or she was trying to throw Esther off. Which led to point two: he knew damn good and well that Natalie wouldn't get Ailsa a dog unless she spoke to her father first. Yes, Ailsa was Natalie's daughter, but something like that affected the rest of the family, and the rest of Torchwood. And since Jack was just as good as ever at getting information (even if it wasn't particularly any of his business), he knew that no such conversation took place.

Add to that, Natalie was behaving skittish, and everything added up to a young woman acting under duress and scared out of her mind. Jack lived entirely too long not to see the signs. Her eyes darted around the Jeep, as if looking for something. Or as if someone was watching her. Jack said, "So, what made you decide to buy Aili a puppy dog?" Natalie jumped a mile, evidently startled by the sound of his voice. He offered her his most gentle smile, adding, "Just decided after the terrible year everyone has had, it would be a good present for the poor kid?"

He was rewarded with a weak smile, as Natalie replied, "Something like that, yeah. She's been through hell during the last few years, and she's proven that she's really good at taking care of other people. Just look at the way she takes care of you!" He made a face at her, making her laugh. It was too nervous, too scared, but it did ease some of the tension in her small frame. _Okay. Keep it light, keep it under control_. He didn't know what was going on, but he could run a con even under these circumstances.

"Got any ideas about what kind of breed? Mind you, I've never had a dog. A cat, yes, after Alex killed himself and the rest of the team back in 2000, but never a dog. Estelle, she had a cat as well. Moses was his name," Jack replied, the old pang returning whenever he thought about his lost love. Estelle. Esther. He looked over at the young woman who was driving him to god only knew where and said seriously, "I'm not sure if I ever said this properly, but thank you. Thank you for taking care of Esther until we could get her out."

That won him a true smile as she replied, "You're more than welcome. I have never liked bullies, and if there's one word to describe the Families, aside from domineering, it's 'bully.' As to the breed, I hadn't really thought about it. Kinda like the idea of getting a rescue dog, though. You have good instincts, which is why I asked you." That was the first outright lie she told him, but he wouldn't give her a hard time about it. She was trying to tell him something, without telling him outright. But until he knew more, he couldn't do anything for her. She was quiet a moment, and then said, "I wanted a dog when I was growing up. There was always a reason not to get one, though. And I know I can't give Ailsa everything that she wants, but there's a part of me which wants to ignore that."

"I understand, better than you think. I wasn't allowed to be Melissa's father for long, but I know what you mean about giving a child what they want, as opposed to giving them what they need. Just as I know that sometimes, that difference is really hard to see," Jack replied. His voice caught, just a little, when he spoke his daughter's name. Jack knew that Melissa would never forgive him for Steven, and he accepted that, he didn't expect her to forgive him. It was hard enough to accept that he did far more good in his life than bad, especially in a situation like this. However, he had forever to live with his choices and his mistakes, just as he had forever to remember his triumphs.

"Sophia told me about that. I'm so sorry. There's been a lot of bad shit in your life, Jack," Natalie replied. His lips twitched a bit at that. _Bad shit_. Yeah, that was one way of looking at it. He looked over at her, as Natalie bit her lip and once more looked around. She wanted to tell him something, but something was holding her back. Best to honor that, for now. He allowed his head to fall back against the headrest, closing his eyes at the same time. His fingers began to drum out a rhythm that he remembered hearing when Sophia started singing at the dinner table the previous night.

Natalie inhaled sharply, drawing his attention. He sat forward, opening his eyes at the same time. She looked at him, looked at his fingers (what?), and then her eyes narrowed with determination. Her next actions cemented Jack's certainty that something was very wrong. She carefully took his wrist and placed it on her thigh. That was very, _very_ unlike Natalie. But Jack didn't move his hand, merely watched her curiously. She swallowed hard, and then her fingers danced lightly over the back of his hand. It took him just a few seconds to recognize the pattern. Morse code. She was tapping a message in Morse code to him. Octavia and Priscilla both mentioned to him in the past that Natalie was taught Morse code, in case she was ever trapped in the storm shelter after a tornado. And right now, she was facing another trap.

'_Ailsa … taken … help. Please…..help_.' Jack's blood froze at the message. Someone kidnapped Ailsa, and was using her as leverage against Natalie and against Jack. Okay, he had just about enough of this! If people wanted a go at him, fine, but using his friends, or even worse, the children (or grandchildren) of his friends, was too much. For now, however, he needed more information. He mouthed, '_Everything will be all right. Trust me_.' Natalie looked like she was about to cry, but she nodded. Jack took her hand, entwined their fingers, and raised her knuckles to his lips. Aloud, because she introduced the topic of dogs, "Do you have a book of breeds in your car?" Natalie shot him a surprised look, and he gently teased, "I know you, Nat, you're an information junkie." As he spoke, he was pantomiming a spider with his free hand. Natalie frowned, obviously confused. Jack gestured around the Jeep and then made the same gesture. Was the Jeep bugged? It was the only thing he could think of, the only reason why she would be using Morse code, and had no trouble looking at him. This time, she understood, and nodded vehemently. The bastards bugged her Jeep then. Okay. He would have to be careful then.

"There's something in the glove box, a book I bought last week," she replied. A book in her glove box. . .? Oh. She caught on after all. Good girl. Jack opened and closed the glove box. There was nothing in there aside from the owner's manual…oh. Oh, he should have thought of that before. He pulled the owner's manual out, even as he carefully withdrew his mobile. They would need reinforcements for this. He wasn't willing to bet Ailsa's life just on his own skills (he was good, he was very good, but he didn't know how many people they were dealing with once they reached the rendezvous point), especially since Ailsa's mother had very little field experience. Nope. Reinforcements it was, and as he opened the owner's manual out, he winked at Natalie and began keying a text to Esther and Rex.

There was one last question he needed answered. How did they contact her? He couldn't ask her directly… ah! He held his mobile out to her, and pointed at it. She frowned briefly, and he mouthed, '_is this how they called you_?' Once again, she bobbed her head vehemently. Jack smiled viciously. Very good, at least for the Tregarth family. Whoever took Ailsa? Their lives now belonged to Jack and the whole Tregarth clan. And that was very bad for them. He began keying his texts once more, because they had very limited time. Send the initial text to Rex and Esther, carbon copy the rest of the family, and let slip the dogs of war.

TWTWTWTWTW

"Ailsa's been taken, and they want to exchange her for Jack," Esther Drummond announced, sweeping into the computer room. To say that she looked angry was something of an understatement. Jason actually saw more pleasant expressions on the faces of enemy combatants. She stood in the middle of the computer room, sliding her cell phone open and shut repeatedly. Rex Matheson didn't look much better. His jaw was tight with suppressed rage, and Jason could only hope it wasn't directed at his aunt.

However, it was Owen who said, "Right, what do we know?" It was at that moment that everyone else's cell phones went off. All with the same message, if Owen's muttered, '_Bloody Harkness_!' was any indication. The doctor asked, turning his attention to the situation at hand, "I'm guessing that everyone just got the same message from Jack? Ailsa's been abducted, the kidnappers want to exchange Ailsa for Jack, and they called on Natalie's cell phone?" Everyone nodded, and as soon as the words were out of Owen's mouth, Jason was booting up a program that he and his grandfather wrote together, just before Natalie went undercover.

"Esther, you're the one who usually calls Nat on her cell, what's her number?" Jason asked. There was only a brief hesitation, and then Esther recited the number he needed. The former soldier keyed in the number, virtuously ignoring Rex's smart remarks about not knowing his aunt's cell phone number. He had more important things to do right now, and ...THERE! He gave a triumphant '_ha_!' as the information he needed opened into a new window, calling over his shoulder, "Lucas, see what you can find information on Ailsa's teacher, Lola Wycliffe. Matheson, make yourself useful and take this to my brother. All right. So, Natalie gets a call from Wycliffe, telling her that she has Ailsa and that if she ever wants to see our girl again, she'll turn Jack over to them. She's given five minutes to get on the road."

"She was trying to get my attention," Esther realized, "when she and Jack left, she told me that she was taking Jack to pick out a dog for Ailsa." Jason shook his head. He wasn't so sure of that. More to the point, he wasn't sure if his aunt was even thinking clearly when she left. Esther pressed, "Jason, think about it. Everyone in the house knows that Natalie would speak with your grandparents before she made any decision that would affect the rest of the family. Adriane's complained about it often enough. She was in over her head, she knew she was in over her head, and it was the only way she had to ask for help!"

Okay, put like that, Jason had to admit that she had a point. Owen said, sounding just as exasperated, "Fine. Natalie asked us for help in the only way she had available, or the only way she could think of at the time. She's had very little field experience, aside from her months undercover, and very little in the way of training. Can we all acknowledge that and move on to the more important question? What do we do to save her, Jack, and Ailsa?" Jason couldn't argue with his priorities.

"Still working on information about Wycliffe, but I can tell you what the coordinates are. Esther, do you still have your cell phone out?" Lucas asked. The blonde nodded, and walked over to join Lucas. His voice was too quiet for Jason to hear them, but that wasn't important right now. His younger brother concluded, "Send that information to my mother, aunt, cousin, and grandmother. There's a GPS at my feet. Once you've sent the text, program the GPS with the coordinates. I have an idea about getting there to back them up." Esther immediately got to work, sending the text and then programming the GPS.

"Most likely the same one I had," his grandfather said, striding into the computer room. Jason could almost literally see a storm cloud over the patriarch's head. Right now, though, he wasn't Jason's grandfather. He wasn't even the figurehead of Torchwood America. No, this was the director of Torchwood Three, and he was absolutely terrifying. Carlyon Tregarth continued, "Jason, have you finished the repairs I requested? Good lad. Owen, Rex, Esther, it's long past you know about this. Esther, have you sent that information to my womenfolk?" Esther nodded, looking more than a little confused, and Jason's grandfather went on, "Good girl. Jack sent a separate text to me, along with a plan to bring this to an end right now. We'll be using that plan, and I'll brief you once you figure out for whom Wycliffe is working."

"Didn't you tell me that the Families waited for eighty years to put their plans into effect?" Owen asked. Esther and Rex both nodded, and he murmured, "Doesn't make any sense for it to be them. They'd still be rebuilding, and it's far more likely that they'll wait a little longer before they make another attempt." Jason's grandfather nodded his agreement, while Rex and Lucas were staring at him in shock. Owen rolled his eyes and muttered something, most likely uncomplimentary, under his breath. He was like that, though. He was a perfect gentleman with the ladies (especially after the one time he swore in front of Ailsa, and Esther grabbed his ear. Jason was pretty sure that they could hear his yowl in the next county); occasionally sarcastic with Jack; subdued around Jason's grandfather; and acerbic with Lucas, Jason, and Rex. Especially with Rex. Evidently, the former agent once accused Jack of getting his previous team killed, and Owen still hadn't forgiven Matheson for it.

"Dr. Harper is quite right. They aren't ready to challenge Torchwood and they certainly aren't ready to challenge this family. No, it's someone else, who doesn't know this family nearly as well as the Families do, or as Angelo Colasanto did. Ah. The ladies have received Jack's text, and they're heading to the rendezvous point. Octavia is threatening unholy retribution on the school and the teacher, it seems. That's assuming that Natalie doesn't get there first. Adriane also contacted the Hallorans … oh very good, my dear. The more reinforcements, the better. Jack doesn't know how many people are involved in this. Lucas? Do you have something, my boy?" their grandfather asked. Esther nodded, looking grim.

However, it was Lucas who answered, "Yes, sir, I do. I'll explain everything on the way. I cross-referenced the Torchwood Archives that you downloaded every year with Lola Wycliffe's resume, to see if I could get any hits. You could say that I hit pay dirt. She wasn't always a kindergarten teacher, and she just moved back to the States three years ago. She lived in Cardiff for ten years, and when she came back, she got her certification to become a kindergarten teacher." _Okay, and_? Lucas repeated, maybe seeing Jason's impatient expression, "I'll tell you everything on the way. Nat has a fifteen minute head start on us, and we need to get there soon."

"Maybe not as soon as you think, but we do need to haul ass. So, you mentioned something that would get us there quicker, Director Tregarth?" Rex asked. A significant look passed between him and Esther, whose expression only looked grimmer. He added, "World War II is gonna be just fine, Esther, stop fretting about him so much." The grim expression turned into a glower, and Jason ducked his head to hide his grin. He was several years younger than Rex, but even he knew better than to tell a woman not to worry about a man who was important to her. No one knew if Jack and Esther were sleeping together yet, and it seemed that Rex was the only one who kept asking. Jason's mom told him that unless he wanted in Esther's bed, to butt out of her business, otherwise Mom was going to start getting jealous. And no one wanted _that_.

"Yes, if you could all follow me? And Esther, my dear, please turn down the wattage on your glare, it's becoming as potent as Jack's smile," Jason's grandfather suggested gently. Esther blushed and Grandfather continued, "Much better, child. Come, take my arm, and I'll remind these young bulls how to treat a lady. Lucas, have that information sent to your mobile or your PDA, whatever works best." Esther dropped a rather neat curtsey, took his grandfather's arm as if she was a grand lady in the Queen's own court, and paraded out of the room. Lucas bit back a grin of his own, tucked his cell into a pocket, and followed them from the room. Jason and Owen exchanged a look, the doctor made a quick 'go ahead' gesture with his head, and then Rex brought up the rear.

Thus, the man who was sort of involved with Jason's mother was the last to see the latest addition to the Torchwood/Tregarth vehicles. The former soldier had no idea where it was hidden from sight for so long (although, his grandfather was very good at hiding things in plain sight-Jason had only to look at his aunt Natalie to know that). Regardless, Jason and Owen were staring in absolute shock; Lucas was beaming; Esther had one had covering her mouth, but her eyes were wide with delight; and Carlyon Tregarth simply beamed proudly. Matheson stared at the transport, and then at the patriarch, before blurting out, "You have **GOT** to be shitting me!" Jason could only shake his head. Government auction. Had to be government auction.

TWTWTWTWTW

Jack knew something was wrong. Of course he did, the man wasn't stupid. He used his good looks as a weapon, in more ways than one. And she had no doubt that one of those included leading enemies to underestimate him. She didn't want to be one of his enemies, but she was running out of time and running out of options to save both him and her daughter. Natalie was equally and absolutely sure that whoever wanted Jack meant to hurt him. Natalie had only to remember the Cousins who killed him back when they rescued Esther. She had no idea who had her Ailsa, but it went without saying that Jack made a lot of enemies over the course of his hundred plus years. So, what if she turned him over to these people? Never mind the consequences to her, what would the consequences to Ailsa be?

Jack probably wouldn't ever know, but his light, casual conversation served to calm her down and focus her mind. Driving had the same effect. The terror was no less, but now she was capable of thinking rationally. What were the consequences if she turned Jack over to Ailsa's captors, not just to herself, but to Ailsa? For the second time in less than an hour, Natalie's blood ran cold as she really thought about what she was doing. If she did this, if she betrayed Jack, then what was to stop another enemy of Torchwood from targeting her daughter again? And how could she trust this woman to return her Ailsa alive? She already betrayed Natalie's trust once, who was to say that even if Jack was turned over to them, Ailsa would survive? Nat heard it said a thousand times, '_you don't negotiate with terrorists_.' Her father explained when she asked about it that negotiating rewarded bad behavior. And this was no different. If she did this today, if she betrayed Jack, then she was placing her daughter in far greater danger. It would be open season on Ailsa.

She couldn't betray Jack. Never mind what her family would do to her, she couldn't endanger Ailsa. She was Ailsa's mother, it was her job to protect her daughter. And if she betrayed Jack, then she was also betraying Ailsa. Jack's head lolled back against the seat, his eyes were closed, as his fingers began to beat out the rhythm of a song Sophia was singing the night before. Drumming. Tap, tap, tap. Jack served in both World War I and World War II. Soldiers knew Morse code. And so did she. To Natalie, it was like pieces of a puzzle sliding into place. She had her way of warning Jack. She didn't have to do this alone, after all. The relief from that knowledge nearly made her giddy.

With that in mind, she delicately picked up Jack's wrist and settled his big, warm hand on her thigh, ignoring the delicious sensations that created in her body. _Focus, dammit_! Jack's eyes snapped open and he stared at her, his concern obvious in the lovely blue eyes. She began to tap out her message on the back of his hand, praying that she remembered her Morse code correctly. She hadn't practiced it in several years, and would never forgive herself if her rusty skills got her daughter killed because she literally sent Jack the wrong message. And she kept it simple. '_Ailsa…taken…help. Please…help_.'

Jack focused on the rhythm of her fingers on his skin, and once her message was complete, she saw his face darken with rage from the corner of her eye. But before she could start fearing that he would hate her for what she'd done (which, God knew, he had every right to do), he mouthed, '_Everything will be okay. Trust me_.' The air left Natalie's lungs in a rush, and she nearly fainted from relief. As it was, she had a hard time fighting back tears, because Jack would know what to do. He would know what to do, he didn't seem to hate her, and the weight of saving her daughter slid from Natalie's narrow shoulders a little to settle slightly more comfortably on Jack's far more broad shoulders. It wasn't his responsibility to save Ailsa, but he would do it anyhow. Natalie didn't know how she would ever make this up to him. From what her parents told her, there wasn't a question that he would forgive her: Jack nearly always forgave. The question was, what could she do to make amends?

Perhaps sensing this, Jack entwined their fingers, and lifted that hand to his lips, kissing her knuckles. What followed would be comical later, as Jack tried to find out if the Jeep was bugged (thank God he figured it out on his own, because her mind went blank on how to tell him that), and then tried to ascertain how they contacted her (that message finally got through when he pointed at his cell and then at her). He offered her a very wicked, very vicious grin (oh dear. She was so glad that he wasn't angry with _her_), as he removed her owner's manual from the glove box and his cell phone. What was he doing? Oh. He was calling for reinforcements. Of course, her father would probably chew her out, but she would worry about that later. What worried Natalie was reaching the rendezvous point on time.

"This place we're going, is it a kennel or a farm?" Jack asked suddenly. _Huh_? Natalie glanced at him, to find his eyebrows raised at her questioningly. Kennel or farm? Why on earth was he asking her about whether it was a kennel or a farm, what. . .oh. **OH**! Jack continued, "The reason I ask is because according to this, there is a difference in how the dogs are raised." She focused on what he was asking, about the location. The location. Oh. Oh. She really wasn't cut out for this secret agent stuff. She wasn't used to thinking in code. She wasn't used to any of this. And, with that knowledge, some of her fear started turning to anger.

However, her tone was light as she replied, "It's a farm." Jack once more winked at her, easing her nerves. She didn't know what he was doing, but she knew she trusted him. She asked after a moment, "Do you have any ideas about what kind of dog would be good for Ailsa? Not just any five year old, but for my five-year-old. She's not exactly typical." She wished she knew a way to tell Jack about what she heard when the bitch teacher called her initially, about Ailsa yelling and fighting back as much as she could.

"I've been thinking about that. If she was older, I'd suggest a big dog, but they don't always know their own strength," Jack answered. Huh? She was having a hard time keeping the code straight from the conversation they were making to avoid suspicion. Jack added, "On the other hand, little dogs can be high-strung. You'll know when we get there." And that was true, regardless of the conversation they were having. With a satisfied smile, Jack put away his cell phone and sat back. He fiddled with his cuffs…what the hell was he doing? Didn't matter right now, they were at the coordinates. Jack observed flippantly, "Nice place, very roomy." She grinned at him and drew the car to a halt, putting it in 'park' at the same time. There was no one here yet. Jack muttered, "This brings back memories." Huh? But Jack didn't elaborate, and Natalie didn't ask. She had a feeling that she didn't want to know.

For the first time, she noticed that his wrists seemed to be bound together, but that didn't stop him from getting out of the car and slamming the door. Hard. Natalie hoped whoever was listening got a headache out of it. So much so, she did the same. Jack called, "Nat, I need your help." She raced around the side of the Jeep, and he explained, "I need them to think that my hands are bound. Do you see how I have my cuffs buttoned now?" Natalie bobbed her head, and Jack went on, "I want you to do the same, with my hands behind my back. You can feel me up if you like, but maybe we should wait to do that later." She rolled her eyes, but couldn't help smiling at him. She was rewarded with a gentle smile and a quiet, "That's better." She never entirely knew what to expect from Jack. When she expected him to mock her for her inexperience, he showed incredible patience. When she expected him to be angry with her for her betrayal, he teased her about groping him. .

It took her a few minutes, Jack being careful to position his hands just above the gun he kept in the small of his back. All Natalie would need to do was unbutton the cuffs, and that would free Jack's hands. At the same time, he gave her the sidearm he kept at his hip. He said softly, "I know that you know how to use this, Nat. And I know you know when to use it. I have absolute faith in you, Natalie Sophia." Even though she almost betrayed him? Even though she would have betrayed him, if she hadn't remembered that he knew Morse code? She couldn't see his face, but he repeated, "Absolute faith. When I give you the signal, you can free me. You'll know the signal when you hear it. Trust me. And it's show time." Natalie swallowed, but wrapped her hand around Jack's forearm and tucked the gun into the back of her jeans.

"Okay," she breathed, "okay." Lola Wycliffe's battered VW van was bumping along toward them, and Natalie bit back a snicker at Jack's less than flattering remarks about the ancient vehicle. Something about '_what is that thing supposed to be, the Mystery Machine_?' It wasn't funny. But at the same time, it was, and it reassured her that whatever Jack was planning, everything would be all right at the end. The Mystery Machine's door (_dammit, Jack_!) flew open and a very frazzled-looking Lola Wycliffe emerged. Ailsa fought her tooth and nail, judging from the scratches on her face and neck. _Good girl_, Natalie thought, _I won't even punish you this time if you bit her. I will need to take you to the doctor, though_.

"Well, I see you came. And you even tied him up for me," Wycliffe said, trying to smirk and failing miserably. Natalie kept one hand on Jack's forearm, as much to stay calm as to stay in character. She didn't say a word. Neither did Jack. They both merely stared at her, even as Natalie wondered what Jack's signal would be. Wycliffe screeched, "Quit staring at me! You're worse than the little brats I teach! What are you waiting for?" However, what caught Natalie's attention was the soft, but clear, '_file complete_' and the tensing of Jack's muscles under her hand. She slid that hand down to his buttoned wrists, and freed him. In one smooth motion, Jack pulled his gun and brought it up to bear on Wycliffe, who took a half step back. Natalie withdrew her own pistol, aiming at the bitch who took her daughter.

At the same time, there was the familiar thwump-thwump-thwump of a helicopter overhead. _What the hell. . _.? Jack smirked and said, "We were waiting for _that_. You didn't really think that you could challenge the Tregarth family like this and get away with it, did you? Forget Torchwood, the Tregarths are a hundred times more dangerous." The helicopter settled a short distance away, disgorging Jason, her father, Rex, Owen, Esther and finally Lucas. At the same time, an SUV and a station wagon pulled in behind the Mystery Machine, revealing her mother, Priscilla, Octavia and Adriane coming from the SUV and the Hallorans plus Charlie Havelock emerging from the station wagon.

She looked up at Jack, who beamed down at her, and then they both looked back to Wycliffe. Natalie hissed, "I want my daughter, and I want her right _now_!" The rest of her family and the reinforcements all had their guns trained on Wycliffe. The other woman swallowed hard, backtracked toward the Mystery Machine, and Natalie heard her father warn the former teacher that she was covered from all angles. He emphasized they were all very good shots. The side door was opened and Ailsa scrambled out, pausing just long enough to kick her former teacher in the shin, before running to Natalie. Jack whispered that he had Wycliffe covered, her job now was to take care of her daughter. A split second after that, Ailsa was in her arms, sobbing hysterically. Natalie held on tightly, fighting back tears of her own as she soothed the little girl.

As Natalie carried Ailsa back to the Jeep, Mr. Havelock began searching the Mystery Machine methodically, snarling, "I've never struck a woman in my life, Lola, but I'm real tempted to make you the first. Ava, can you cover her while I check this thing?" Ava was here? Wasn't she at work? Owen was trotting over with his bag, and Natalie kissed the side of her daughter's head, allowing Owen to look her as the child sat in her lap. Mr. Havelock called, "Captain Harkness, you might wanna look inside the driver's side door for the bug. From what I can see, it was a combination of bug and tracker."

"After Owen finishes checking Natalie over, I'll do just that. Carlyon, how do you want to play this? Whether Ailsa and Natalie were targeted because of their ties to Torchwood or not, this is Torchwood business. Oh, I'm sorry, did you not know who you're dealing with? We're Torchwood, above the police and beyond the United Nations, answering only to the British Crown. And we _really_ don't like people who use children as leverage," Jack snapped. Owen rolled his eyes, but quietly reassured Natalie that Ailsa wasn't severely injured. She had some bumps and bruises, was mildly dehydrated, but was otherwise fine. There was a brief conversation between her father and Jack, one that she barely paid attention to. Owen was looking grim and strained, which meant he knew what was going on.

"Owen, can you take care of Ailsa for a few minutes? I'll be right over there with Jack, honey, I promise, I won't leave your sight," Natalie requested. Ailsa offered her tiny pinky finger and Natalie smiled, looping her pinky finger around her daughter's and wiggling them. That made Ailsa laugh, as it was meant to, and then Natalie eased her child into Owen's arms. The doctor looked a little nervous, but tucked Ailsa against his chest protective. He asked very softly what she intended to do. She offered him a grim smile and responded, "Keeping a promise."

Unexpectedly, Owen smiled viciously and Natalie walked back deliberately toward Jack and her father, who was explaining in detail and with a great deal of relish just how Jack and Natalie tricked the teacher. Former teacher, because if the school district still kept her on after this, Natalie was going to make it her personal mission in life to destroy them all. She walked right up to the woman, who was sneering at her, and reminded her, "I promised that I'd beat the ever-living shit out of anyone who hurt my daughter. I keep my promises, you fucking bitch!"

With that, she slammed her fist as hard as she could into Wycliffe's solar plexus. The woman made a very gratifying noise as the air whooshed out of her lungs and she doubled over. But Natalie didn't stop there. One punch wasn't enough to relieve her terror, her anxiety, her guilt over what she put Jack through. Oh, no. One punch wasn't nearly enough. On the contrary, her rage seared through her, turning her blood to lava. Over and over, she hit the other woman, screaming incoherently.

She would have beaten Lola Wycliffe to death. She really, really would have done that, and probably lost no sleep over it. Except a pair of strong arms wrapped around her waist and physically lifted her away from the woman who dared to harm her child. Hands on her forearms turned her around, and Natalie blindly struck out. Her fist never made contact. Instead, a warm, familiar hand wrapped around her wrist, and through the haze of rage and guilt, she heard someone calling her name, "Nat. . .Natalie! Natalie, it's me, it's Jack. Shhh, I've got you, you're safe, it's over. Shhhh." The red haze that permeated her vision started to fade, and now she could see the familiar, dear, handsome features, the blue eyes, and a gentle smile that widened when she focused on him. He said again, "It's okay, sweetheart, it's over now. You're safe, Ailsa is safe." Safe. Ailsa was safe in Owen's arms, Jack was safe.

Her legs gave way and she collapsed into Jack's arms, sobbing. She was pulled up right, and into Jack's chest, one arm firmly wrapped around her lower back, while his free hand stroked her hair gently. She sobbed, "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I couldn't figure it out sooner, and I almost betrayed you, oh God, I'm so sorry." Jack's arms merely tightened. He didn't say a word, just gently lowered them both to the ground, until they were both kneeling. Natalie sobbed into his chest, wrapping her arms tightly around his waist.

At last, her sobs began to slow and he whispered, "You have nothing to be sorry about, Natalie Sophia, but if you need to hear the words, then I forgive you. You did the best you could in a terrible situation and as soon as you came up with a feasible plan to save your daughter, you put it into play. For whatever it's worth, I am so proud of you." A gentle hand that didn't belong to Jack settled on the back of her shoulder, stroking lightly. Now, Natalie could hear her daughter asking anxiously if Mommy was all right, and Owen answering that her mummy had been very scared and very angry when Ailsa was taken, because the bad people wanted her to hurt Jack.

"Jack's right, sweetheart. I wish you would have told someone before you left with Jack, but Lucas was able to hack into your cell, and we know what happened and how it happened. And if you like, I can teach you a little more about what to do if you ever get into this situation again once everything has settled down. But we still don't know the 'who.' Owen said that he would tell us once Ailsa was safe," Octavia said softly. Natalie nodded tiredly, keeping her face buried in Jack's shirt. He really did smell good. And he was warm. God, he was so warm.

"Yes, Owen, you said that it wasn't the Families, which makes sense. They waited eighty years to launch the Miracle, so why would they jump the gun like this? Especially since they know the Tregarths, and they know what Carlyon does when someone attack his family. So if it's not the Families, who is it?" Jack asked, pulling back just a little so that Natalie could take part. Octavia discreetly handed her a handkerchief. Natalie cleaned herself up, leaning heavily against Jack, allowing herself to look at her father and mother for the first time. Her father smiled at her warmly, though she could see the worry in his eyes, and her mother. . .well, her mother was absolutely _glowering_ at Wycliffe. The old saying, 'if looks could kill' seemed to apply to this situation. Natalie remembered dancing to the old Heart song '_If Looks Could Kill_' when she was a teenager. She shivered, and Jack held her closer.

"No, it wasn't the Families. Mr. Havelock, I hate to ask this of you, but would you mind driving that dinosaur to the Tregarth homestead? I'm sure one of the Tregarth ladies will be more than happy to tie her up and gag her, and not be gentle about it," Owen suggested. Natalie saw her oldest sister and niece light up like Christmas trees at the doctor's suggestion. For his own part, Charles Havelock nodded, putting the safety back on his gun, before putting it away entirely. Owen said, "I promise, I will tell you, Jack, but the bint needs to be secured first." Jack nodded, and Owen said, looking at the little girl in his arms, "How would you like to go back to your mum? Maybe ride with her and Jack back to the house?"

Ailsa nodded, saying, "I left my lunch at the park. Mommy isn't gonna be mad at me, is she?" That nearly made Natalie cry all over again, as Owen reassured that she was the absolute last person her mummy was mad at right now. He carried her over to Natalie, who opened her arms to her little girl. Ailsa slipped into her embrace, murmuring, "She wanted you to hurt Jack? She's really bad, then." Natalie kissed the top of her daughter's head, because really, what could she say to that?

The youngster added as Mr. Havelock and the Hallorans bundled Wycliffe into the Mystery Machine, with help from Priscilla and Adriane, "Owen said you beat her butt for being bad. He said you'd do that to anybody who hurt me." Natalie looked at the battered woman, and then her daughter, and she nodded. Unexpectedly, Ailsa beamed and cheered, "Yay-yay-yay!" Huh? Natalie stared at her daughter in shock. Wasn't Ailsa scared by Nat's loss of control? But there was no fear in her daughter's eyes when she looked at her.

"She knows you'll do anything to protect her, Nat. It's not that hard to understand," Owen said, adding, "OI! Matheson, you're supposed to be the second in command!" Rex scowled at Owen, but followed Mr. Havelock into the Mystery Machine. He'd be riding shotgun and keeping an eye on Wycliffe, evidently. Natalie didn't really care. Owen took a deep breath and said, "Okay, that's them taken care of. I'll explain on the way back to the house, but like I said, it wasn't the Families. She's not working for the Families. She's working for the Pharm, Jack."

All the color drained from Jack's face, which didn't bode well. However, before Natalie could ask for clarifications, Owen went on, "The Pharm was a group of scientists in Cardiff who captured aliens and experimented on them, for the betterment of mankind, they said. It was that case that led to my first death." Oh. _Oh, shit_. Natalie hugged her daughter a little closer, especially when she saw Jack's stormy expression. Owen continued, "I'll outline everything on the way back to the house, including explaining to Natalie just how things played out." Okay. That was fair enough. Jack helped her and Ailsa into the Jeep, before sliding in on the other side, so that Ailsa was between them.

"I'll drive the Jeep back so you can focus on the explanations, Owen," Esther offered. Natalie closed her eyes, but smiled when Esther called over, "Turn off the bug, Rex, until we can get it taken out. Don't you sass me! I'm the one who is driving, and if I want to stop off to get Ailsa ice cream, I will!" That made Natalie laugh, and Esther huffed as she slid into the Jeep, "In fact, that sounds like a good idea. Does an ice cream cone with fudge sauce and sprinkles sound good, Ailsa? Is that okay with you, Nat?"

She should have said 'no.' After all, Ailsa hadn't even had her lunch yet. But as Natalie looked into her daughter's tear-stained, dirty face, she said, "That's fine. Ice cream for all of us, and Jack gets whatever he wants." After what he'd done for her and her daughter today, this was the absolute least she could do for him. Natalie kissed the top of her daughter's head once again, and shifted Ailsa until she was reclining against Nat's chest. She closed her eyes and simply reveled in the joy of holding her daughter. A soft kiss was pressed to her forehead, and she opened her eyes to see Jack smiling quietly at her. She mouthed, '_thank you_,' and had the pleasure of seeing his smile widen.

TBC


	4. Chapter 3: Not Without Incident

Author's Notes: First, I am **so** sorry for the delay in this chapter. Last Monday, my internet connection was disrupted by a virus and I ended up having to take it into our computer hero to fix. Which he did, and I got my baby back today. (hugs laptop) Okay, on with the story. While I'm sparing in my use of Wikipedia, it was invaluable to me for this chapter, especially the first section. The _Doctor Who_ episode to which Natalie refers in this section was _The Masque of Mandragora_, a multi-part episode during the Tom Baker era. While my parents watched Tom Baker (their only Doctor), I didn't start watching until Chris Eccleston took up the mantle in 2005 (the only pre-2005 Doctor Who episode I've seen is _The Five Doctors_ and that was on YouTube). So, my thanks to Wikipedia for giving me a place to start. In this chapter, we have Owen learning about some of Torchwood's counterparts around the world, Esther has plans for Jack, Ailsa gets her ice cream and cuddles, and Rex and Chuck Havelock speculate about what the Tregarths will do about Lola Wycliffe.

Chapter Three

Not Without Incident

She was angry. God help her, she was so _angry_!

The last time Esther Drummond could remember being this angry (aside from the times when Sarah didn't do right by the girls) was the night she and Rex almost became Category One, the night Vera was murdered. When Jack was shot, she was too terrified to be angry. The anger came later. And this was a different sort of anger. Someone took Ailsa Tregarth, and not just anyone. Oh, no, her own teacher took her from the park, in full view of the rest of the school! Her teacher, whom the children and parents of this community were _supposed _to be able to trust, betrayed that trust quite spectacularly! To make matters worse, it was an attempt on the teacher's part to get her evil little claws into Jack. As Owen explained about the Pharm and what they did in Cardiff, Esther's fury intensified.

At the time, she was stunned and just a little worried when Nat went to town on the older woman, pounding her fists and feet into Wycliffe with a venom Esther never saw from Natalie before. She saw her friend angry and frightened, she saw her when the rug was pulled out from under her and everything she thought she knew about her world was wrong. But she never saw her like this. However, the more Owen talked, the more Esther was glad Natalie beat the ever-loving hell out of the woman. She just wished that her friend let her get a few punches in. Or, at the very least, let Esther hold her while Natalie beat the shit out of her. Ah, well, she was letting Esther buy Ailsa ice cream. That was something. And Nat did say that Jack got whatever he wanted, her initial attempt at taking care of him in the wake of her near-betrayal. Esther had a few ideas about taking care of Jack when this was all over, and none of them involved ice cream. She wondered briefly if she should warn him what she had in store for him, and then decided against it. Why take all the fun out of it for both of them?

Owen stopped his more detailed explanation of the Pharm when Esther's cell began beeping, indicating a text or email, and asked, "Esther, who in the hell is Ilaria Baldasarre? And for that matter, what the hell is Inoltre?" Oh, good, Esther was hoping she would hear back from Ilaria today. It took the other woman very little time to track down the requested information. She wasn't crazy about the idea of Owen reading her texts or emails, but it could have been worse. Owen read aloud, "_Cara, I have checked our main archives. There are no records of experiments such as the ones you've described taking place, but I have two more archives. All of Inoltre was devastated when we learned that it was a son of Italy who helped to launch the abomination, however unwittingly. Rest assured that we will continue our research. Ilaria_."

Natalie raised her head, murmuring, "Inoltre is the Italian equivalent of Torchwood, Owen, and it means 'beyond.' It was founded in the fifteenth century by the new Duke of San Martino, Giuliano, after the Doctor helped him deal with an alien threat, the Mandragora Helix. Yes, the same Doctor that Torchwood was founded in response to, but a different incarnation. Yes, Jack, I do know about that. Sort of. In any event, Inoltre has only become centralized and organized since the end of the Second World War. There are similar organizations all over the world. The Erde Einrede, for instance, in Germany, was formed after the reunification, or Escudo in Spain. My pronunciation of Japanese names and words suck worse than my pronunciation of Welsh words, so I won't even attempt the Japanese equivalent." Esther saw a small smile quirk the corners of Owen's mouth, and Natalie added, kissing the top of Ailsa's head, "I actually went to college with Ilaria's younger sister, Gioia. Her room was a few doors down from mine in the dorm, and she's the one I went to for help with my Italian classes. You know how we have Torchwood brats? Well, they have Inoltre brats. Ilaria and Gioia are Inoltre brats, twice over."

"I can only imagine the conversation after _that_ discovery," Jack observed wryly. Esther glanced at him in the mirror ever so often as she drove, watching him anxiously. Jack looked tired, though Esther was sure that some of that was, he was tired of people using children to get to him. Esther didn't blame him one bit. He, in turn, never looked away from the mother and daughter beside him. Ailsa was tucked between Natalie and Jack. The little girl was drowsing in her mother's arms, her tiny fingers wrapped around Jack's much larger digits. Esther smiled to herself, at the implicit trust in that simple touch. Did Ailsa ever lose faith that her mother would come for her? Looking at the trio in the backseat, Esther didn't believe that for an instant.

Natalie replied, just as wryly, drawing Esther's attention back to the conversation, "Well, there was use of Italian expletives on both sides. Ilaria and myself, versus Gioia. Oh, she wasn't happy with me at _all_." Esther frowned. _Why_? Natalie didn't even know about Torchwood until a few months earlier, when the new team rescued Esther from the hospital of the Families. Natalie added, "She was mad at her sister for not telling her about Inoltre, and she was mad at me for taking Ilaria's side. Which I didn't, exactly. I just told her that if Inoltre was anything like Torchwood, it's not something you just tell your family about. It requires some. . .finesse."

"Like I said," Jack dead-panned, "That must have been an interesting conversation." Natalie just rolled her eyes and Esther smiled to herself. The strain was slowly easing from the brunette's eyes and mouth. Esther couldn't imagine how she kept herself from falling apart after she got that call from Lola Wycliffe, much less how she had the presence of mind to tell Jack. The immortal added, "Ailsa, I don't know if you heard about this, but your mom knows Morse code. That's how she saved us both. She remembered that I knew Morse code, and she warned me that you were in trouble, and Ms. Wycliffe wanted her to hurt me. She saved us both."

Esther braced herself for the squeal that was likely coming. Ailsa, however, said simply, "I knew Mommy wouldn't hurt you, Jack. She could never hurt you. Miss Wycliffe is just silly. And mean. And I'm glad Mommy hurt her." She sounded far more grown up than she had this morning when she left for school, and Esther hated Lola Wycliffe for that new bitterness she heard in the little girl's voice. Natalie made a soft, inarticulate cry of pain, and Esther hated the teacher for that, too. A glance to her right told her that Owen was feeling much the same way, if the tightness around his mouth was any indication.

"You knew your mommy wouldn't hurt me. And how did you know that, Ailsa Kerren?" Jack asked, sounding both amused and bemused as Esther pulled up to the drive through window of the Tregarths' favorite year-round ice cream place. That conversation was put on hold, while everyone gave Esther their order. Nat, not surprisingly, didn't want much of anything aside from a sweet tea, an additional spoon for Ailsa's ice cream, and a glass of water. Once the order was placed and Esther pulled forward to the pick-up window, Jack once more asked, "How did you know that your mommy wouldn't hurt me, Ailsa, no matter what Ms. Wycliffe said?"

"Because," Ailsa said as Esther paid the bill, in that voice children often use when dealing with slow adults, "Mommy likes you too much, and she can't hurt the people she likes. That's what Mama Sophia says, and she's Mommy's mommy, so she has to be right." Whatever Jack was expecting her to say, that obviously wasn't it. His expression could be best described as wop-jawed. Esther bit back a laugh as she carefully handed Natalie the requested glass of water and extra spoon, and then the requested ice cream to Ailsa, much to that little girl's delight.

"Jack, once you finish your ice cream, would you mind bracing Ailsa while I clean her face? Talk about an angel with a dirty face," Natalie observed, taking a sip of the sweet tea provided. Esther double-checked to make sure everyone had their (correct) orders before pulling out of the parking lot. Jack, thankfully, didn't bother trying to respond with his mouth full, and simply nodded. Natalie continued, "And Esther, just when did you have the chance to send that request to Ilaria? Unless I lost time again, which is entirely likely."

"Less a matter of losing time and more a matter of being exhausted, Nat, and getting Ailsa secured in the car. She sent it while you were getting buckled up and buckling up this little lady," Jack murmured. There were several moments of silence from the backseat, as Ailsa dug into her ice cream with gusto, Nat sipped at her sweet tea, and Jack polished off his own ice cream cone. There was a soft chuckle, and then Jack observed, "You were hungry, weren't you, sweetheart? Didn't even have a chance to eat lunch, poor kid. Natalie, did you send a brown bag with her or a proper lunch box?"

"I sent an old lunchbox of mine with her name on it. Tavia said they'll swing by the park on the way home-yeah, they're going back to the store to get the dress Adriane was looking at, and they'll get the lunch box. And, I've changed my mind, Jack. You'll clean my dirty little angel up, instead of me, if you don't mind? I know I've asked a lot of you already, but. . ." Natalie began. Esther was concentrating on the road, but she was pretty sure she knew what Jack's expression looked like right now: a combination of amusement, affection and exasperation. However, he didn't speak; simply removed a handkerchief from his pocket and motioned to Natalie for the glass of water. In between Ailsa taking bites of ice cream, Jack cleaned her face and the tenderness he demonstrated nearly took Esther's breath away. However, she focused on her driving, and let Jack tend to the mother and daughter.

TWTWTWTWTW

So, other countries had variations on Torchwood. Well, it only stood to reason. Torchwood was one of the oldest, formed in 1879, and certainly it was one of the best equipped, with the most extensive archives. The other thing that stood to reason was the list of other nations and their equivalents that Esther had on her phone. There were the three that Natalie mentioned, Inoltre, the Erde Einrede, and Escudo. Technically speaking, Inoltre was the oldest out of all the Torchwood-like organizations in the world, with its formation in the fifteenth century. However, it was scrambling to catch up with Torchwood, which Ilaria cheerfully admitted had the better tech and better resources. Owen made a mental note to talk to Carlyon Tregarth about the tentative alliances he set up with other countries' alien-tracking organizations.

But his first priority when they returned to the homestead was to examine Ailsa _and_ Natalie. Yeah, he looked over the little girl, but he wanted to give her a more thorough looking over. And then, he wanted to give her mother a complete examination. He'd start with her hands, because he doubted that her fists were accustomed to the abuse she'd dished out today. Damn. She really beat the hell out of that woman. She deserved it, of course. Wycliffe deserved to have her arse beaten, if only for thinking that Jack would simply handed over without incident, and Natalie deserved to be the one to do it. Still, he wanted to make sure that she didn't injure her hands. As for Jack ...well, judging from the way Esther kept looking at him, Owen was quite sure that Esther would be the one examining Jack this time. He'd wondered often, during the last few weeks, what it would take for Esther to take that final step.

He still hadn't moved out of Jack's room, but the nights when they actually slept together were growing fewer and further between. It seemed that Jack was finally accepting that Owen was really back, was really alive, and had no intention of going anywhere. He still had nightmares, but seemed to bring himself out of those nightmares. And Owen was finally accepting that he really was home, safe, and with Jack. Carlyon and Jack were still working out the stickier points of Owen's legal status, which was another reason he hadn't been on a mission until today. And in the meantime, he got to know the surrounding area and the people who lived here. He liked most of the ones he met, especially the Hallorans, who couldn't be kept out of this rescue. And Charles Havelock, who seemed suspiciously unsurprised to see Jack up and about and moving without pain. No, he didn't seem surprised at all, which Owen found very interesting, since he was another person taken by the Kinnickkinnock and assisted in beating Jack to death just a few weeks earlier. It was almost as if he knew that Jack didn't stay dead. _Very, very interesting_.

Another glance over his shoulder told him that Jack was done cleaning Ailsa's face, and the little girl was now dozing against her mother's chest. That didn't surprise him. However, evidently once Jack finished with what he was doing, he shifted the mother and daughter until both Natalie and Ailsa reclined against him. He had his arm around Natalie's shoulders, fingers lightly stroking the young woman's arm as he brushed comforting kisses into her hair. Tears were once more streaking Natalie's face, and Owen swallowed hard, feeling more uncomfortable than he ever did when he caught Jack and Ianto. Or maybe he was just more grown-up now. He never liked seeing women cry, and right now, Natalie was feeling a combination of relief and guilt. That led to another thought, which Owen knew better than to keep to himself.

He murmured to Esther, "I don't think it's a good idea for Natalie to be alone at night for the next few weeks. She's liable to have nightmares about what could have happened." Esther nodded grimly, brown eyes shifting once more to the rear view mirror. Just to make her smile, Owen added in a soft voice, "Just remember to invite me if you do anything other than watch over her." Esther never took her eyes off the road, but that didn't prevent her from slapping Owen's thigh. Owen arranged his mouth in a mock-pout, but couldn't keep it up. Especially not after he saw Esther's smile trying to grow bigger, and her fighting it every step of the way.

"She's asleep now," Jack said softly, and Owen looked over his shoulder once more, to see that Jack was one hundred percent correct. Both mother and daughter were asleep, in fact. Every few minutes, Jack's hand would come up to gently stroke Natalie's cheek or her daughter's hair. Owen swallowed hard, but kept any observations to himself when Jack continued, "After you've checked over Natalie and Ailsa, Owen, I think you should check over Wycliffe as well. I don't know how much damage Natalie did. Hell, I don't even know where Carlyon plans to keep her. You don't know Carlyon very well, but he won't take kindly to someone kidnapping his granddaughter, much less the attempt to use Ailsa as leverage."

"I'm gonna suggest the morgue," Owen answered, careful to keep his voice equally quiet. A few days earlier, Carlyon finally took the rest of the team into that part of the base. He wanted to wait until after Jack was informed of the room's existence, telling his daughters, grandchildren, and the rest of the team that this was a temporary morgue, until something more permanent could be built. Jack's brows arched questioningly at Owen's suggestion, and the doctor continued, "Put her in a chair directly in front of Tosh's unit, so that she feels as if Tosh is looking at her, judging her, and turn the lights low, to make it creepier." That was something that came to him a few minutes earlier, when he was working out the best place to hold her.

Jack stared at him in absolute disbelief, before finally saying, "Is there something you'd like to tell me about those years you spent in that other dimension, Owen?" He didn't say '_no_,' the doctor noticed. And a quick glance to his left told him that Esther was nodding slowly. It was funny. She and Nat were both gentle women by nature, but they could be damn ruthless. In the past few weeks, Owen heard references to Natalie's bottled-up rage, but until she beat the shit out of Wycliffe, he hadn't believed it. It wasn't just that she would have beaten the bitch to death if Jack hadn't stopped her. No, it was the fact that she didn't even recognize Jack when he stopped her. And that? That scared the hell out of the doctor. When Owen didn't respond, Jack continued, "I have no issues with it. Owen, do me a favor and text Carlyon with your plan? I would, but I've got my hands full at the moment. Do me another favor, and don't tell him that."

Owen bit back a laugh, put Esther's mobile down, and picked up his own. Yeah, he didn't blame Jack for being cautious around Carlyon. The old man was an unholy terror when they put the pieces together, even threatening to turn his youngest daughter over his knee if she gave into Wycliffe's demands. Esther very gently pointed out that if Jack was able to text them, Natalie chose not to bow to the other woman's demands. He was silent for a moment before admitting that she was quite correct. Carlyon responded almost immediately, and Owen laughed softly. He twisted in his seat to tell Jack, "He says, '_do it. And while she's staring at a dead body, we can begin debating about what to do about her, long-term. I will not have her stinking up my base or my home, and I certainly want her nowhere near my granddaughter_.' I don't think Nat will have any trouble with that, do you, Jack?" Jack grinned back at him, but before he could respond, the young woman in question awoke with a strangled cry, dark eyes wide with fear.

"Jack! Oh God, Jack, no!" Natalie all but whimpered, obviously still not fully awake. Jack responded by tightening his arms around her, and she looked up at him, before relaxing against his chest. Actually, that was something of an understatement: she practically melted against him, murmuring, "I-you're okay. I didn't hurt you, you're safe, it's okay, you're all right." No need for her to say that she had a nightmare.

"And so are you. We're both safe, Ailsa is safe, and I've got you both. Everything is all right, Natalie, I promise," Jack murmured. He kissed the top of her head, adding, "And like you, I keep my promises when I can. Rest. Just rest. Shhh." Owen wasn't entirely sure what that meant, but one thing he did know: whatever Jack was planning, he'd back him. There were still a lot of unanswered questions, about Wycliffe, about the Pharm, and about what the hell Wycliffe was planning to do (although Owen could make an educated guess). While Jack never told Owen about the night that led to the Miracle, the doctor was able to put the pieces together from his captain's nightmares. That wasn't taking into account during the time Jack was away, when he spent a year being tortured by a psychotic alien. Not again. Not on Owen's watch.

TWTWTWTWTW

It took a little bit longer than Rex anticipated to deactivate the bug in the Mystery Machine, as World War II dubbed it. Thus, he and Chuck got an impromptu lesson in Torchwood history, courtesy of Natalie and the former zombie reading from Esther's cell. So, there were equivalents to Torchwood all over the world. He knew from his brief conversation with Charles Havelock that the same was true of UNIT. There was a UNIT post in New York City. For some reason, Rex never heard of UNIT while he was with the CIA. Most of his contacts were dead (thanks to Charlotte Wills), but he still knew a few operatives who were willing to talk to him. He would think that the CIA would know more about UNIT than they did. On the other hand, maybe it was a need-to-know basis, and at the time, he didn't need to know.

Once the bug was finally inactive, silence fell between him and Havelock, but only briefly. Wycliffe thumped her feet against the side of the Mystery Machine (okay, Rex had to give Jack credit for that one), and Havelock asked almost conversationally, "What do you think they'll do to her? The Tregarths, I mean. She kidnapped the baby of the family, tried to blackmail the youngest daughter into betraying a friend, and God only knows what they would have done to Captain Harkness once she had her claws in him. I admit, I don't know the Tregarths all that well, but to some people I know, including my wife Marie, she qualifies for the '_needing to be killed_' defense." Rex snickered as the thumping abruptly stopped.

"I don't know, Mr. Havelock, I really don't," the former CIA agent admitted, "and I shouldn't even be having this conversation with you, but I get the feeling you know more than most civilians would, by virtue of you showing up with the Hallorans. So, how about if you tell me what you know, and we'll figure out what I can divulge?" By now, he knew that after their first meeting, Jack retconned Esther, but her memories eventually came back. It became something of an inside joke between them, Esther teasing World War II about the likelihood of her ever forgetting someone like him.

Of course, any thoughts of any inside jokes between Esther and Jack were blown out of his head by what Charles Havelock proceeded to tell him. He knew, of course, about the Year that was reset (and 'year' was always, **always** capitalized). Neither Rex nor Esther remembered it, but the Tregarths did and they remembered more every day. However, Chuck was there on the Valiant when Time rewound, and things were far worse than even the Tregarths knew. There was a great deal that Martha didn't tell them while she was here, and even more that Jack didn't tell them. Listening to all the ways this self-proclaimed Master killed World War II ... dear heaven, how was it that he was still sane? And would Rex have been able to hold onto his own sanity, if he truly was immortal after Miracle Day?

He didn't know. One thing he did know, however: there was absolutely no point in retconning Chuck Havelock. He already knew entirely too much. Once the other man was finished, he said as much, adding, "Of course, you'll need to talk to World War II and the old man, but it seems to me that you're already auxiliary. Kinda like Martha Jones and her husband Mickey, but I'm not sure if you and the Hallorans will get a say in what happens to Bad Teacher back there. That being said, in Natalie's place, in Carlyon's place, what would you do? Understanding that there's far more to this than a simple kidnapping, how would you handle this?"

Chuck sighed quietly, before finally responding, "I wish I knew. One of the reasons I came today was to make amends for what I helped to do to Captain Harkness a few weeks back. Oh, I know, I was infected with a parasite, we all were, and technically, it wasn't our fault. My mind knows that, Agent Matheson, but my heart doesn't. It doesn't believe that, it doesn't accept that. Another reason is because I didn't do a damn thing to stand up to the Master during the Year. You know you hear about all these people who swear up and down that they were part of the Resistance during World War II, but they really weren't? I swore to myself that I would never delude myself. I didn't do anything to stand against the Master, not until the end, not until the other Time Lord, the Doctor, de-aged. Yeah, Captain Harkness couldn't do much, but he kept the Master distracted from everyone else. He killed that poor man so many times, multiple times during the day. And I didn't do a damn thing. I'm done with that."

Rex shuddered, hearing the frustration and self-loathing in the other man's voice. He said softly, "I don't remember anything of that Year. Esther doesn't, either. At least, that's what she told me. Was there anything you could do? Really, was there anything you could have done to help on the Valiant?" Chuck Havelock didn't respond at first, but his hands flexed on the steering wheel. The former CIA operative couldn't help but wonder how long this was building within his soul over the last few years. How exactly did you come to terms with something like that? Chuck Havelock was, at his heart of hearts, a protector. For a year, he was helpless to protect.

"Clive Jones, the dad of that girl who walked the Earth for a year, Martha? He told me that I couldn't have gone up against the Master, not by myself. Hell, even the Doctor couldn't do it alone, and when Martha came back, I did what I could. But it wasn't enough," Chuck replied. Rex couldn't say anything to that. He was entirely too familiar with the feeling of '_not enough, never enough_.' Chuck went on, "And then there was that business a few weeks ago, helping to hurt a man who'd never done anything to any of us. Matt Halloran told me that he was trying to protect the people in the bar. He would have done the same for us, but he didn't find us in time to save us or himself."

He sighed, almost melting into the upholstery as he added, "Now this happens. Some bimbo with a grudge decides to kidnap a little girl who is her responsibility, tryin' to force her mama into hurting a man the mama's half-way in love with." _Wait, what_? Chuck rolled his eyes, sighing, "C'mon, I saw the way she looked at him, and he was the only person who would even go near Natalie when she beat the hell of bimbo-brain, the only person who could get through to her. She didn't hear her mother, didn't hear her father, shoved away both of her sisters. . ."

"Yeah, but World War II had to literally pick her up and pull her off Wycliffe. I can buy that Natalie's attracted to him, but half-way in love with him? That's pushing it. 'Course, bimbo-brain had to stick her foot into her mouth all the way up to her hip when she whined that pulling the same stunt worked for Olivia Colasanto. Nat beat the shit out of her, but I really think Sophia would have blown her to hell and back, since that's what ended up happening to Colasanto," Rex answered. That was actually the first thing that Chuck asked about once Wycliffe was secured, what Wycliffe meant about Olivia Colasanto. That exchange took place while Jack was still calming the terrified, enraged mother. Rex heard some pretty stupid things in his life, but Wycliffe whining, '_well, it worked for Olivia Colasanto_' when Priscilla demanded to know what the hell she thought she was doing was near the top. Invoking that whole mess was quite possibly the worst thing she could have done. Rex knew that neither Octavia nor Priscilla knew what she meant by that, but Sophia did know. He could see it in her reaction. She knew, and it took the two adult Hallorans _and_ Chuck to hold her back.

"Don't imagine that anyone would have tried to stop her. You asked me a few minutes ago what I thought should be done with her, if it was my daughter. Law enforcement is still trying to put the pieces back together. Sure, she could be put on trial. That, according to some, would be the civilized thing to do. But if we go that route, then Torchwood gets dragged into it, more likely than not. So does Captain Harkness, and the truth about the Miracle comes to light, along with how hard it is to kill him. Most of my neighbors are good people, and they would thank him for what he did to end the Miracle, but there's always someone who needs a scapegoat. He was the victim, just like the rest of us, but not everyone would see it that way. And that's not even taking into account what it would do to Ailsa. I do like what Dr. Harper had to say. But long-term? I don't know, Agent Matheson, I just don't know," Chuck replied finally.

That was more than fair. Chuck added after a moment, a note of steel entering his voice, "But I can tell you this. If I didn't have to worry about the law, I'd make an example out of her. '_This is what happens to people who try to use our children as leverage._' Don't know if it's within the realm of possibilities. But the more I think about it, the more it seems to me that Torchwood will have to handle this totally in-house. You don't have to worry about me, or the Hallorans, opening our mouths. The rest of the town? Not so sure of that."

Rex smiled humorlessly as the thumps from the back of the Mystery Machine started to slow down. _Finally starting to sink in that she messed with the wrong family, hmm_? Although he was a member of Torchwood now, and involved with Octavia Tregarth (if you wanted to call it 'involved'), he wasn't entirely comfortable with Carlyon Tregarth's handling of things in general. There were times when he was quite sure that the most ruthless Mafia don had nothing on Carlyon. And there were other times when he really wasn't sure how to categorize the figurehead of Torchwood South. Chuck asked, almost to himself, "One thing I don't understand is how Wycliffe, who is affiliated with the Pharm, knew about Colasanto?"

Now _that _was a good question, and one for which Rex had no answer. More to the point, he wasn't sure if they would ever find out. It was unlikely that this question would be important to Carlyon. However, Rex made a mental note to ask it anyhow. It could end up being important, far more important than anyone realized. World War II liked to say that the twenty-first century was when everything changed, and they had to be ready. And part of being ready, part of being prepared, was making sure they had all the information at their disposal that could be provided without endangering others. If he was Jack's second in command, it was high time Rex started acting like it, and this was a good place to start.

TBC


	5. Chapter 4: A Question of Accountability

Author's Notes: Okay, I need to let y'all know if you cannot tolerate the idea of Jack being with _any_ woman, don't read pages four to six of this chapter. When I started this series, I observed that there would likely be Jack/Esther action eventually, because they were so friggin' adorable. That is now coming true. So, if that's an issue, skip to page six (actually, considering how sucky my love scenes tend to be, I won't be offended if you skip from page four to page six anyhow). In other news, Sophia and the other ladies discuss what comes next; Lola Wycliffe is secured; and Owen realizes that in the Tregarth family, women really _are_ the deadlier of the species.

Chapter Four

A Question of Accountability

Things were mostly quiet on the way back to the dress shop in the SUV driven by Octavia. Not for the first time, Sophia thanked God or whoever was listening that they went into their little town first before heading into Lawton. That suggestion came from Priscilla, who saw a little consignment boutique earlier in the week. It was because of that innocent, last minute suggestion that they were able to get to the rendezvous point so quickly. Sophia would never stop being grateful for that. As requested, the lovely dress that Adriane found was being held and to Sophia's eternal gratitude, the owner asked no questions. Then again, apparently word got around about the Tregarths being somewhat eccentric. By the following day, everyone in town would know about what happened to Ailsa.

The silence in the car stretched into the return to the homestead, at least until they reached the park where Ailsa was taken only hours earlier. Priscilla jogged over to the small group of people surrounding Tessa's mother Magdalena as soon as Octavia put the car into 'park,' and Adriane blurted out, "How could she do that?" Sophia looked at her oldest granddaughter, not sure if the girl meant her mother, her aunt, or Lola Wycliffe. Adriane ranted, "Ailsa's just a little girl, and that woman kidnapped her in daylight, right under everyone's noses! How is that possible?" Sophia sighed very quietly. There were two different ways this conversation could go, that she could see, and Adriane was just unpredictable enough to find a third way and take it.

"No one had any reason to distrust her, Dree. The Pharm meant nothing to people on this side of the Atlantic and she probably simply said that it was a pharmaceutical company, or something similar, something that wouldn't raise an alarm. She was a criminal and a con artist, that's what they do. Jack would be the very first to tell you that, because he was a con artist at one time. Would Jack have seen through her if he met her? It's entirely possible, but Jack never met her. Your grandfather never met her, I only met her once. She fooled a lot of people over the last few years," Sophia finally said. It wasn't the perfect answer, but it was the most complete answer she could give her eldest granddaughter. Octavia lightly drummed her fingers against the steering wheel and Sophia murmured, remembering how Natalie was finally able to communicate the problem to Jack, "I'm just grateful that Nat finally remembered that Jack is a soldier, and that she remembered her own lessons with Morse code."

"That's another thing. Who in the hell teaches a kid Morse code with the idea that they can use it to communicate with rescuers?" was the next part of Adriane's rant. A glance at Octavia revealed that her middle daughter was rolling her eyes with exasperation, but that was about it. So, evidently, Adriane's rants were well-known in the family. Sophia heard that her oldest granddaughter was capable of rants that could raise the roof, but this was the first time she ever actually heard one ... and it was already getting on her nerves.

"Obviously, your grandfather and mother did," Sophia replied, her voice a little sharper than she intended, because both Adriane and Octavia looked at her in surprise. _Calm down_, Sophia, she told herself, _she's as new to Torchwood as the boys and Natalie are_. She inhaled before continuing more calmly, "You need to understand, Adriane, that before we can be ready to repel an alien invasion or anything of that nature, we need to be ready for every-day disasters. Suppose that your communication grid is knocked down. How do you communicate with others? That's your starting place. Priscilla and Carlyon taught Natalie an alternative way to communicate, and she used that knowledge to save Jack and Ailsa. Because if she turned Jack over to the Pharm, what do you think would have happened to him? What do you think would have happened to Ailsa? There was a good chance that bitch would have killed Ailsa in front of Natalie, because Ailsa was of no further use to her."

"She's right, hon. And yes, we could have rescued Jack from the Pharm, but what would it have cost us? Yes, Jack can come back, but that doesn't mean he wouldn't suffer, and you know your cousins would have died to free him. I'll admit, back when we were first teaching Natalie about Morse code, I never would have thought about her using it in a situation like that. Which reminds me, Mama, do you know what triggered it? I mean, how Natalie remembered that Jack was a soldier?" Octavia asked, steering the conversation toward something more productive. Sophia bit back a grin and Octavia added, "You _do_!"

"I do," Sophia confirmed, "Jack realized that something was terribly wrong, and that Natalie wanted to tell him what it was. However, he couldn't force her and just waited. He tried to relax and started drumming out the rhythm of a song I was singing last night. That triggered Natalie's memory that Jack's a soldier and things went from there. And before you ask, Octavia Brigitte, he told me that while Natalie was turning Wycliffe into mince meat." Sophia fell silent, remembering her youngest daughter's incoherent cries of rage and terror as she beat the traitorous woman with her small, bare fists. She heard references to her baby girl's rage, and braced herself, but even that surprised her. Natalie would have _killed_ that woman-she would have beaten her to death. She really would have done it, if Jack hadn't literally picked her up and pulled her away from Wycliffe.

It seemed that her granddaughter was thinking the same, because Adriane said in a small voice, "What will happen to Natalie? I mean, don't the police need to know about this?" Sophia didn't answer right away. She needed a few minutes to think about that, to consider the best way to answer the girl's question. Carlyon would have to handle this very delicately. He, of all people, understood about that desire, that need, to protect one's child, and the rage when that child was endangered. However, he was also the head of Torchwood South, and while Natalie was his daughter, he couldn't let her off the hook. There was no question that this would be handled in-house all the way around. They couldn't afford to bring the police into this. Of course not. They were Torchwood, above the police and beyond the government.

"More than likely, sweetheart, your grandfather will have her doing some drudge work, like cleaning up the old cryo room or helping the boys with the storage room for Owen. He knows as well anyone that Natalie will be punished with terrible nightmares, and she'll punish herself. But he also knows that she will be expecting to be held accountable for losing control like that. By the same token, Jack knows that Natalie hasn't been cleared for field duty. She hasn't been trained in a lot, so he'll be working with her as well. Don't worry. Your grandfather won't let anything happen to her. But she won't be the only one held accountable," Priscilla said, swinging into the SUV with Ailsa's lunch box in her hands. She handed it back to Sophia, who accepted it. And if there was a touch of reverence as she held something that once belonged to her youngest child, her lost daughter in so many ways, could anyone blame her?

TWTWTWTWTWTW

The first order of business was to secure Lola Wycliffe in the temporary morgue. Rex, Owen, and Jack took great pleasure in wrestling the Pharm representative out of the Mystery Machine and into the bunk house, before maneuvering her down the ladder into Hub 2.0 (oh, and you couldn't forget the blindfold, so generously provided by Chuck Havelock). She was carried into the temporary morgue and Owen reluctantly offered the use of the chair he used when he was in the morgue (likely where he had his 'conversations' with Tosh. Yes, Jack knew about those. Of course he did). In short order, Lola Wycliffe was tied to the chair while Havelock and Rex tinkered with the lights. A quick glance from Havelock told Jack that the other man remembered the Valiant, just as Jack remembered him. Of course he remembered him. Unfortunately, it was while the Kinnickkinnock were using him as a punching bag, not the best times to be remembering such things, but such was life.

No one bothered to harm Wycliffe. Not only was it seriously _not_ worth it, but that was Natalie's purview alone. And she put to good use the thing she learned, even if she wasn't yet cleared for field duty. He knew that Carlyon would put her on cleaning duty of some kind, but that would likely be it. Speaking of, while Jack, Rex, Owen and Havelock dealt with Wycliffe, Esther was looking after Natalie and Ailsa. Surprisingly enough, Carlyon wasn't back with the boys by the time the Mystery Machine reached the Tregarth homestead. However, Jack knew Carlyon had his own plans within plans, and it wouldn't surprise him at all to find that his old friend followed his lady into town to make sure there were no more problems and give Natalie time to compose herself, to say nothing of making Wycliffe sweat.

About twenty minutes after the men had Wycliffe secured, Carlyon came downstairs and said, "Thank you, gentlemen, I don't think she's going anywhere. Mr. Havelock, the Hallorans are here and refusing to leave without you. Jack, Rex, Owen, come along if you please." So, he did plan to leave her here alone with just Tosh for company. Poor Tosh, she really didn't deserve that. But at least Wycliffe couldn't hurt her any more. That reminded him, he really needed to double-check the time difference and call Martha. She would want to know about the resurgence of the Pharm.

"Good night, sleep tight, sweetheart," Owen said, caressing the glass over Tosh's face so easily, so naturally, it was something he had to do on a regular basis. Jack didn't ask. Owen glanced over his shoulder at the seething woman tied to the chair, asking, "Oh, you didn't think I was talking to you, did you, luv? Not a chance. You could never measure up to a _real _woman like Tosh." With that, he sauntered from the room, rolling his eyes at Jack's appreciative whistle. Wycliffe just looked sick.

As Jack started to follow Owen, Carlyon snickered. Oh _really_? What was up with that? As he reached the bunkhouse to find Esther waiting beside the bed she was helping to put together when everything hit the fan, Jack began to figure it out. Carlyon smirked, "Be good, you two." Jack didn't bother reacting ... he was too busy trying to read Esther's expression. And she was just ignoring everything Carlyon said, staring at Jack himself. The immortal was only vaguely aware of Owen and Havelock pushing a protesting Rex out of the bunkhouse, because Esther reached up and caressed his jaw line with her knuckles.

"I haven't been that frightened in a long time, Jack. Not even when Owen returned with you dying, not when I thought I would die. I could have lost you. But I'm done wasting time," Esther whispered hoarsely, and for the first time, he saw the redness of her eyes. She'd been crying. Jack started to speak, to comfort her somehow, and remind her that he came back, but Esther's hand slid to cup his chin and her thumb stroked back and forth across his lower lip as she went on, "I won't ask for more than you can give. Just ... for right now, in this place and time, let me take care of you."

"You always do, Esther Drummond," Jack answered softly. Esther smiled and rocked onto her toes, hands sliding to the nape of his neck as she kissed him. He slipped his arms around her waist, drawing her against his body as their tongues slid against each other and along each other. Her hands ghosted over his shoulders, down his back, stroking down over his ribs before making a return journey and pushing the braces down to hang from his trousers. She'd touched him before, of course. Changing his bandages and soothing his fevers or his night terrors, of course she'd touched him. But not like this. Never like this.

His hand slipped up under her blouse toward her bra, but Esther slapped his rear, murmuring against his lips, "No. I'm taking care of you right now, Jack Harkness. You can make love to me later. Right now, this is all about you." Make love. It was a long time since he truly made love. Sex was easy. Making love was something entirely different. But this was Esther, and somehow, she was making it far easier with her touches and her caresses and her kisses, with the breathy moans she wasn't even aware of making as they kissed. She pulled away, not far, just enough to unbutton his shirt while kissing. Her fingers stroked along his torso, stroking, caressing, making Jack moan in spite of himself.

"What … is … it … _oh God_ … with … _ngh_ … not … Esther, _please_!" Jack gasped, trembling as his undershirt followed its predecessor to the growing pile on the floor. She simply laughed softly as she pushed him onto the bed, palming his erection through his trousers, and Jack's vision went white. But he could still feel her small hands divesting him of said trousers and easing his boots from his feet. Before his brain finished rebooting, Esther was lying alongside him, peppering his face with soft kisses. She laced their fingers together and rolled over on top of him, kissing his closed eyes, the corners of his mouth.

"If you're asking why Owen and I are doing the work, so to speak, it's because we want to take care of you. I know you, Jack. I know you prefer men, and for you to let me touch you like this-look. You don't have to tell me that you love me. You love us all, in a variety of ways. Yes, I took care of you after you were shot, but this is different. This is me, keeping a promise. You and Natalie keep your promises; well, I keep mine, too," Esther whispered. He could feel her breasts moving against his chest with her breathing, and she went on, "Will you let me do this, Jack? Will you let me take care of you and show you what you mean to me?" He barely managed a nod and Esther added, "Then hold onto your ankles. Pull your heels up to that lovely rear-end and hold your ankles. There's something I want to try. But first. . ."

Her '_but first_' entailed languid kisses across his chest and down each rib before trailing along his abdomen. Jack gasped as her lips drew closer to his package, but Esther wasn't ready for that. Instead, her mouth made a return journey, as she breathed against his skin. Her lips mapped his entire torso: licking, kissing, tonguing until he was ready to melt into the bed. But she wasn't finished. Oh, no. Esther gently eased his grip on his ankles and shifted his hands to the side of the mattress, before sliding between his legs to kiss the insides of his thighs. He trembled, shook all over, mind nearly blank with pleasure. And then Esther rocked back on her heels, hands abandoning his body to unbutton her own shirt, saying the magic words, "Touch me, Jack. I want you to touch me."

He didn't remember getting the rest of her clothes off. But he remembered the warmth of her skin as he stroked his fingers lightly over her body, drawing gasps and moans and whimpers. He remembered her drawing him into her arms and into her body, remembered the feeling of being surrounded with no hope of escape and having no desire to escape. And he remembered the intense release, the echo of her orgasm sending him into oblivion. When he returned to himself, Esther was lying in his arms, blonde hair covering his chest. She whispered, "Welcome back. I'll admit that the bunkhouse wasn't my first choice for my first time with you, but it seems appropriate." He laughed softly and kissed the top of her head.

"No regrets then, Esther Drummond?" he asked, barely stifling a gasp when she kissed his shoulder and when she shook her head, the silky hair caressing his chest. He'd forgotten how silky long hair could feel against his skin. Well, there was Owen, but he didn't know how to use his longer hair the way Esther did. Besides, he had it cut within a week after his return. Jack returned the favor by kissing her forehead, and asked, "What do you want to happen now? Or, rather, where do you want for us to go from here?" She responded with one of her warmest smiles, her hand coming up to touch his face gently.

"We don't have to go anywhere from here, Jack. I told you, I wouldn't ask more from you than you can give. I know you aren't over Ianto yet, and you may never be entirely over him," Esther replied. Jack smiled faintly, wondering how she figured that out. Esther shook her head at him and Jack sucked in a breath (_oooh_, she needed to list that hair of hers as a deadly weapon), telling him, "You never say the words, Jack, but I can see it in your eyes when you and Owen talk about the past sometimes. It's like the memory of Ianto is sacred to you, and maybe it is. I've never really loved and lost someone, not like that. The only thing I want from you, Jack, is your promise that you will let yourself love again. Don't put Ianto on a pedestal. He deserves better than that and so do you and so does everyone else who might be lucky enough to win your heart. You don't have to love me, but let yourself love someone."

It wasn't often that Jack was rendered speechless by something other than sex, but Esther just managed that. He started to speak, until he realized that he had no idea what to say. Finally, he managed to ask, "You mean that?" Esther smiled and rolled sideways, until Jack was lying on top of her. That, evidently, was a '_yes_.' He stroked the light blonde hair back from her eyes, saying softly, "I remember you promising that I could make love to you. I intend to hold you to that promise ... along with the rest of me." Her delighted laughter dissipated into a moan of pleasure as he kissed her. Esther Drummond was a woman of her word, after all.

TWTWTWTWTW

When the men returned to the house (without Jack), the entire family was home safely. Ailsa was in her mother's arms, while Sophia and Priscilla were wrapped around Natalie. Owen firmly reminded his imagination that they were mother and daughters and to _please_ take a cold shower. Octavia sat in front of her mother and sisters, holding Natalie's hands lightly. Upon seeing Owen, Octavia leaned forward to kiss Nat's forehead, whispering, "Let Owen take a look at your knuckles, kiddo. We'll talk more later." Natalie nodded, and Octavia asked, "Do I want to know where Jack and Esther are?" There was no hesitation as the four men shook their heads. Octavia rolled her eyes and added, "Yeah, figured as much. Okay, Sexy Rexy, you're with me. I need to make sure the cameras are rolling in the morgue ... and maybe the bunkhouse."

Natalie looked up at that, protesting, "Tavia!" Octavia merely laughed, hooked her finger around Matheson's tie and dragged him out of the room. Owen snickered as he sat down in front of Natalie on the table and the young woman sighed, "What'll make it worse if she decides to make copies ... or if there's a TV in the morgue and she figures out a way to loop it in there. She's just wild enough to do something like that." Owen motioned for her to give him her hands, which she did. The young doctor was vaguely aware of his big boss standing behind him, but Natalie was far more aware of her father's presence, asking, "So, what is it to be?"

To his credit, Director Tregarth didn't pretend not to know what she meant, choosing instead to reply, "Finish cleaning the old cryo-room." She raised her eyebrows at him questioningly and he added, "You warned Jack to the best of your ability, and even with police involvement, there's not a parent in the county who would convict you for beating the Hades out of that woman. What worries me isn't that, but your anger blinded you to all else. That's the reason for the disciplinary actions, such as they are. Nothing stopped Wycliffe from fighting back, there was no one restraining her." Nope. Although, Owen heard Esther muttering about how she wished Natalie let her restrain Wycliffe while Natalie beat the hell out of her. Scary.

"And speaking of which, little sister, that was pretty damn impressive. What, did you play out WWE scenarios in your head while you were undercover?" Priscilla teased and Natalie's face turned even redder. WWE? Owen began rubbing ointment into her knuckles, cream which he picked up in the medbay on the way out of Hub two point oh (and they _really_ needed a better name for it than that), along with the bandages, and Priscilla explained, "The WWE is the World Wrestling. . .hell. I can't remember what the 'E' stands for. Not that it really matters, I suppose, since none of it is real." Now Sophia looked just as lost as Owen felt.

However, unlike Owen, she had no problem with admitting as much. It was just one of many reasons why he liked her. Even if she was (technically) old enough to be his grandmother and maybe even his great-grandmother. Sophia asked, kissing the side of her daughter's head as she eased Ailsa from her mother's arms to allow Owen to work, "Is it like one of those reality shows that aren't really real?" Owen snickered. _Reality shows that weren't really real_. After his four years in the other dimension, reality shows were the last thing he wanted to watch. That was a bit too real for him, thank you very much, and most of these posers made him want to throw something at the telly. Or worse.

"WWE, World Wrestling Entertainment. You remember the other night when we were watching _The Scorpion King_ on one of the commercial cable channels? Well, the actor who played Mathayus got his start on WWE. Or maybe it was the predecessor, World Wrestling Federation. I can never keep those two straight, can never keep the dates of when one became the other straight. Anyhow, it's a bunch of actors and actresses pretending to beat each other up, although there are people who think it's real," Natalie replied. Owen pretended not to notice the way she was biting down hard on her lower lip. Didn't want anyone to notice that her hands were hurting, more than likely. Bloody stupid pride (not that he had any room to talk there). On the other hand, judging from the conversation between her and her father, it was also possible that she was accepting the pain as justice for the pain she inflicted on others. Owen hoped not, but weirder things were known to happen.

"I suppose it's no different than people watching a jousting match back during the Middle Ages or at a Renaissance Faire, and I haven't given up on going to one of those," Sophia observed. Owen raised his eyebrows thoughtfully, because that was something that never occurred to him. The similarities between jousting and wrestling, that is. However, she had a good point. Sophia went on, her voice almost wistful, "I was too young to accompany my father to either of the matches between Joe Louis and Max Schmeling, but I enjoyed seeing fights like that when I was older." _Wait, what_? Did she say what he _thought_ she just said? Owen and both of the daughters now present stared at her in shock, and Sophia added, "What? There's a lot you three don't know about me! I'm a diplomat's daughter, but I always enjoyed boxing matches. I had a bit of the rebel in me."

"Just a bit," Natalie snarked, but rested her head against her mother's shoulder, adding, "And in answer to your question, Priscilla, no. I honestly wasn't thinking beyond the first punch. It was like ... I only meant to hit her the once, but once the first blow landed, I couldn't stop myself. I didn't want to stop myself. I wanted her to pay for every second of anxiety, for the moments of sheer terror before I figured out a way to let Jack know what was going on. I still can't believe he forgave me so easily. If he hadn't started tapping out that rhythm ... I would have betrayed him." She was trembling, her eyes glassy with tears that had nothing to do with the pain in her hands, and everything to do with reaction to the ordeal she, Ailsa, and Jack just went through.

"I don't believe that for an instant. You didn't _want _to betray him, and it wasn't anything conscious on his part that gave you the clue. One way or another, you _would_ have warned him what was happening," Owen said sharply. Natalie looked at him, blinking back tears. He added after a moment, gentling his voice, "And of _course_ he forgave you. Hell, he forgave me for far worse, there's no way he wouldn't have forgiven you for this. Okay? He already told you that, and the fact that he didn't think there was any need for forgiveness. Right now, the thing you need to work on is forgiving yourself."

That was the hard part, as Owen knew entirely too well. Jack forgiving him was easy, painfully easy. Forgiving himself? That took longer. And he knew the same was true of Jack. He found it easy to forgive others; forgiving himself was another matter entirely. Natalie said slowly, "You know, from the time I joined Torchwood, I was afraid something like this would happen. That I would have to make a decision and I wouldn't be able to live with the consequences. There was no guarantee that Wycliffe would have let Ailsa go … was there?" Owen shook his head. Natalie drew in a deep shuddering breath and whispered, "Then why isn't it any easier? Why do I still have nightmares about what happened and what could have happened?"

"Because that's the way things work, baby girl," Priscilla answered softly, stroking Natalie's dark hair tenderly. Owen chose to leave this to the people who loved Natalie most, because they knew what to say. Priscilla went on, "You know how things ended. You figured out a way to warn Jack. But your imagination continues to spin, and a thousand different scenarios play out in your imagination. And that's where the nightmares come from, because what if this happened or that, and your subconscious runs wild. We can't stop that. None of us can. What we can do is hold you when you wake up, or find Jack to reassure you."

"How long before it stops hurting?" Natalie asked in a small voice. Owen found himself blinking back tears, but kept his head down and his attention focused on her hands. She continued after a moment, "I barely know Jack, really, not as well as Owen does or Esther or Rex. But. . .this hurts so much. It hurts that I trusted someone and. . ." She stopped, swallowing hard, and Owen understood at that point. It wasn't just what she could have done or what she might have done, it was the knowledge that she trusted the wrong person. And when she realized that, she would stop trusting her own judgment. That fueled her nightmares.

"It will take time. I still haven't forgiven myself for the way I behaved toward Jack when Mama was so sick. He and Dad keep telling me that I was fourteen and terrified for my mother, but that's no excuse. I behaved as if Jack was my enemy, and that was absolutely untrue. It takes time, sweetheart. Just understand that this is not something you have to do by yourself. I'm here, Mama's here, Octavia, Dad, Owen, Jack, Rex, Esther. We won't let you deal with this by yourself," Priscilla replied, kissing the top of Natalie's head.

"Be patient with yourself," Sophia counseled, "be patient with yourself and remember that you haven't even been cleared for field duty yet. Yes, this will set you back while you deal with what happened, but remember this: you aren't even certified to be a Torchwood agent. You handled the situation about as well as anyone could have in that situation. Yes, there are some things you could have done better, but you'll learn and you'll do better if such a situation crops up again. And you know something, I don't think it will. Your father and Jack are making plans to ensure that people know you chose to protect your child in the long term rather than the short-term, so they'll know that they can't use Ailsa as leverage against this family or Torchwood."

"I'm dying to see how they do that," Priscilla muttered. Owen smirked. Yeah. That made two of them. He was dying to see just how _creative_ Jack was nowadays. Priscilla continued after a moment, "Now, if Miss Ailsa there doesn't mind, she'll stay with Mama, while I take you upstairs. I think you could use a hot shower to relax. And while you're doing that, Mama is going to give Miss Ailsa a bath. Once you're both cleaned up, we'll tuck you both into bed, and no one will leave your side. Is that okay with you, Aili? Do you mind staying with Mama Sophia while I take care of your mama?"

Much to Owen's amusement, Ailsa nodded and then shook her head, before giving a short, frustrated huff. He interrupted, "Oi! Just remember that she needs to keep her hands covered and her bandages dry. I suppose I can keep Ailsa company until your mum gives her that bath. Your father intends to keep Wycliffe down in the new Hub indefinitely. He wants her totally un-nerved before we start the questioning. Matheson asked if we weren't infringing on her civil liberties, something about '_cruel and unusual punishment_.' Director Tregarth actually snickered and told him that it wasn't yet time to worry about that. He's a scary man, that one."

"Part of why I fell in love with him," Sophia replied cheerfully as Priscilla helped Natalie to her feet. Owen blinked and Sophia winked at him cheekily, adding, "Don't you know that girls are suckers for bad boys, Owen?" He had the sudden image of Carlyon Tregarth in black leather astride a cycle, and he had to forcibly blink it away. _Bloody hell_! He was rewarded with Sophia's merry laughter as she rose to her feet, still holding Ailsa against her body. Forget the sodding aliens, these ladies were a thousand times more dangerous!

Considering he hadn't heard any of their ideas of what to do about Lola Wycliffe yet, he was more right than he knew.

TBC


	6. Chapter 5: Very Scary Ladies

Author's Notes: Sorry, a bit of a cliffhanger for this one, but it would have been worse if I included Owen's suggestion. Not sure when the next chapter will be up, as I have a busy two weeks ahead of me: Memorial Day on Monday, and a week-long preparation for my youngest nephew's arrival for a visit on Friday. He's almost thirteen, so I don't need to entertain him, as such, but he may ask to borrow my computer. So I'm not sure how much writing I'll get done while he's here. For now, we have Esther reflecting; Sophia giving Ailsa a bath and getting an unexpected boon from her daughters; and the discussion about what to do about Lola Wycliffe begins … which is the source of the title of this chapter. And in the '_oh, how cool is that_' file, I'm currently watching the USA/Scotland soccer game being played in Jacksonville, FL.

Chapter Five

Very Scary Ladies

Jack drifted back to sleep after Esther kept her promise, but the young woman knew there was far more to his exhaustion than their love-making. There was the matter of Ailsa's kidnapping and the strain of controlling his fury. Esther propped herself up on one elbow, smiling softly down at the man beside her. She meant every word she said, of course. She knew that he wasn't over losing Ianto, much less as violently and as tragically as he did. It wasn't that he spoke of his dead lover often, but the grief in his eyes when he saw the Ianto of the Rift, and the tone in his voice when he did speak of him: all of this told Esther that Jack was still mourning him. The grief and anger wasn't as fresh, but it was still there. People could assume that because he wasn't constantly speaking of Ianto, he'd forgotten about him. Nothing could be further from the truth. He grieved for him, he mourned for him, and he missed him. But slowly, Jack was coming to accept Ianto's loss. With that acceptance came another: letting himself love someone else was not a betrayal of Ianto's memory. Esther had the impression it was a long time since someone made that much of an impact on him.

She also knew that whatever was happening between them (beyond the obvious), Jack would love people after her. And that was good. When she thought about the years he would live (_forever, to the end of the universe_, he told her once, _and after that, who knew_?) and the people he would lose, when she realized how lonely he would be without people to love, Esther was glad there would be people to come after her. She didn't fool herself. It would be some time before Jack was ready to give his heart, and maybe she wasn't that person. That was okay, too. But for right now, she was here and while her family was taking care of Natalie, Esther would take care of Jack. She wanted to do it, she planned to do it while they were in the car (and Natalie begged her to make sure that Jack was really okay).

"Shhh … you're thinking too loud," the man in question mumbled, eyes still closed. Esther returned her attention to his face and discovered a familiar, faint smile curving his lips. One eye peeked open and he added, "I'm partial to cuddling a while before the rest of the team shows up. Of course, we could give them a show. Carlyon doesn't always knock before he enters. Admittedly, this is his bunkhouse, but he knew that we were alone together before he went in the house. Rex was protesting loudly enough." Esther snorted as she settled down again at his side, but not before she saw the one eye close once more, and Jack made a contented humming sound. She kissed his shoulder lightly, smiling softly at how affectionate and tactile he was. Cuddling was just as important to him as the sex itself, and she loved that about him.

"You let me deal with Rex. Or better yet, Octavia can deal with him, since she's gotten really, _really_ good at it. Priscilla has taken to calling her '_the Rex whisperer in residence_.' I don't know if that's a good thing or not," Esther replied. Her reward was a low chuckle that would have turned her limbs to water if she'd been standing up. As it was, she shivered, just a little, prompting Jack to draw her closer and kiss the top of her head. Esther snuggled as close as she could, fingers lightly stroking the expanse of skin where he was shot. There was no scar there, and she wondered briefly if she should be disappointed that there was no scar to kiss. After a moment, she decided that she wasn't. They both had scars that weren't easily seen, after all, and as she learned today, she didn't need to kiss his scars to make him tremble.

"You've gotten pretty good at wrangling us all: Owen, myself, Rex. I heard about you standing up to Carlyon when he was threatening to turn Natalie over his knee if she gave into Wycliffe. Well done," Jack murmured, pressing another kiss to the side of her head. Esther grinned and reminded him that just about everything she knew about dealing with stubborn men, she learned from him, which made him laugh. But it was true. She never really knew how to handle or stand up to stubborn men until Jack. It sometimes took her breath away, how much she learned from Jack. And even now, months later, there were times when she was afraid this was all a dream, and she was still a prisoner of the Families.

"I just pointed out to him, just reminded him, that the very fact that you were texting us about the situation meant that she already chose not to give into that bitch. That's all. I. . .oh, God, Jack," she gasped as fingers began ghosting along her skin. He once more peeked one eye open and smiled at her. Esther tried to glower at him, a miserable failure, but still managed to squeak out, "No fair!" That made Jack laugh outright, his blue eyes gleaming with mischief and desire and _oh-holy-Christ-was-he-really-looking-at-her-like-that_? And then, he rolled over on top of her, hands sliding up her body to pin her wrists to the bed. Esther had just enough time to think a bit irreverently that they were giving this poor bed a thorough work out, before Jack's mouth descended upon her own once more.

Esther's mind stuttered to a halt, and only began working once more when Jack pulled back, murmuring, "I thought you knew by now, Esther Drummond, I don't play fair and I don't fight fair." She didn't even have a chance to respond to that when Jack's mouth began trailing kisses and nips and licks down her body. She closed her eyes, savoring the feel of his lips against her skin and the delicious sensations it created. He might not fight fair and he might not play fair, but Jack was very fair when it came to making love. More than fair. Beyond fair ... _oh God_. Esther decided it was time to stop thinking, because thinking was greatly overrated.

When she was able to think once more, she was clinging to Jack, skin plastered together. Against her own chest, she could feel Jack's heart beating wildly and with a focused effort, Esther moved her hand up to caress the hairs at the nape of his neck. His arms tightened around her, drawing their bodies even closer together. It was a perfect, beautiful moment. Esther refused to ruin it by telling Jack that she loved him. He wasn't ready and neither was she.

TWTWTWTWTW

Once Lola Wycliffe was secured, the Hallorans and Chuck Havelock took their leave of the Tregarths, allowing them to pick up the pieces in peace. No pun intended. It was decided in a quick conversation, after Priscilla helped Natalie into the shower and while Ailsa was gathering up her bath toys, that Sophia would stay with Natalie and Ailsa while the rest of the family decided what they would do about Lola Wycliffe. On the one hand, Sophia really wanted to be there to stare at her granddaughter's kidnapper until the woman began fidgeting, wanted to be there when justice was done ... but being there for her daughter was far more important than vengeance. Priscilla slipped back to the upstairs bathroom, in case Natalie needed more help (which was likely), while Sophia finished running Ailsa's bath.

A few minutes later, Ailsa trotted into the bathroom with an armful of her favorite bath toys, far more than she usually brought in. Yet another sign of just how jangled the child's nerves were. She desperately needed the familiar and the comfortable right now, which was why Sophia didn't limit those toys, as she knew Natalie usually did. The little girl stripped out of her clothes and daintily stepped into the bath, judged the water to be tolerable, and slid down. Sophia asked softly, "Do you need help?" Ailsa hesitated and shook her head. But no smile accompanied it, and the next question Sophia asked was, "Do you want me to stay?" This time, Ailsa bobbed her head so fiercely, Sophia was afraid she would damage her neck.

But she stayed, kneeling beside the tub where she could gently flick water at her granddaughter, something she missed doing with her own daughters. She always loved bath time with Octavia and Priscilla when they were little. And it was yet something else she lost with Natalie. But, she always reminded herself that if that choice hadn't been made, it was likely that Natalie wouldn't have survived, and that meant the years that she lost with her daughter was worth it. Besides, she was getting a second chance in the form of her granddaughter. Ailsa finally said, "Mama Sophia, why did she do that? Miss Wycliffe? Why did she want Mommy to hurt Jack?"

"Oh, honey," Sophia sighed, "I wish I knew. I wish I knew why and I wish I knew how to explain it. A long time ago, Miss Wycliffe worked for very bad people who did very bad things. They tried to tell everyone that they were doing a good thing, but they weren't. Jack and Owen and Martha, they stopped Miss Wycliffe's people from doing those bad things. That's why Miss Wycliffe wanted to hurt Jack; because she was helping to do a bad thing and he stopped her. As to why she wanted your mom to hurt him … that's harder to answer. There are some people who, when they do bad things, blame other people. They blame the people who catch them, they blame the people they hurt, everyone but themselves. And that's what Miss Wycliffe did. She couldn't accept that she was wrong and that part of her life was over."

Ailsa nodded, tracing designs in the water. She still wasn't smiling, and Sophia wished she thought to wait until Natalie was done with her shower, rather than doing it at the same time. However, after a moment, Ailsa asked softly, "Mama Sophia, who is 'Livia Col'santo? Miss Wycliffe said it worked for her." Oh, this was one conversation she really didn't want to be having with her five year old granddaughter, especially since the child's mother wasn't here and didn't know that whole sordid story (neither did Octavia or Priscilla, much to Sophia's surprise. She thought they knew, but Carlyon confirmed that they didn't). How was it that children always heard the things you didn't want them to hear? Regardless of what changed since she initially went into her coma, that was one thing that hadn't changed. At all.

However, she finally contented herself with saying, "She was a bad person, too, baby." Ailsa nodded, accepting this. In time, she would question it, but for now, '_she was a bad person_' was a good enough explanation for the little girl. Sophia changed the subject, asking, "Do you want me to wash your hair, sweetheart?" Ailsa bobbed her head and turned her little body around so that her head could rest under the faucet. Sophia located the shampoo that her granddaughter used (and really, when did kids' shampoo get so damn complicated?) and gently lathered Ailsa's hair before carefully rinsing out the soapsuds, one hand shielding the little girl's eyes.

At last, satisfied that no soap remained in Ailsa's hair and after checking the little one over thoroughly, Sophia lifted the five year old from the tub and settled her on the towel she set out while the necessary toys were being gathered. And speaking of which. . . Sophia eyed her granddaughter and began fishing the aforementioned toys out of the tub. Ailsa ducked her head sheepishly, responding to Sophia's unspoken rebuke, "Oh. Yeah." Sophia barely bit back a smile at her granddaughter and instead, focused on toweling the child dry. As she worked, she thought about her granddaughter's question and like Rex and Chuck, she wondered just how the teacher knew the late Colasanto heiress. It was something to ask, but right now, she had a daughter and granddaughter to tend to.

With the child still wrapped in the (overly-large) towel, Sophia carried Ailsa upstairs and into the little girl's room, since she had forgotten to get her clothes first. The shower was still running, but through the door, Sophia could hear Priscilla talking. Whether it was to herself or to Natalie, she really wasn't sure, and she was of the opinion that it wasn't any of her business. At least, not yet, not until Natalie or Priscilla made it her business. For now, she had a granddaughter to get dressed. And, not surprisingly, Ailsa was just as fiercely independent as she remembered Octavia and Priscilla being. When it came to getting dressed, at least, her favorite words were, '_I can do it myself_!'

Sophia let the child do it her way, but drew the line at letting Ailsa comb her own hair. Fortunately, she didn't really push it, aside from a tiny pout. Right. She figured as much. Ailsa was just seeing how far she could push. Sophia bit back a smile, retrieved the comb on the dresser, pulled her granddaughter into her lap and carefully combed the tresses. The little girl sat quietly, and Sophia asked softly, "Will you be happier when Mommy gets out of the shower?" There was a hesitant nod, and Sophia added, "It's okay, honey, you're allowed to miss your mom. Especially after the day you both had. But thank you for letting me give you a bath and comb your hair. I missed doing this for your mom and your aunts." Ailsa leaned back against Sophia's chest, and the red-haired woman kissed her hair lightly.

"You missed Mommy, didn't you? You always sound sad when you talk about her, just like Jack does when Grandpa talks about the little boy who died," Ailsa said softly. Sophia's hand stilled. One of these days, she'd learn to stop underestimating the children in her life. She did that all the time with Priscilla and Octavia, and now, Ailsa was carrying on that fine family tradition. Sophia put the comb to one side and turned her granddaughter in her lap. Ailsa's brown eyes gazed up at her trustingly and Sophia swallowed hard.

"I miss that little girl, the one we saw in the photo albums. I miss the baby whom your aunt Priscilla fed and rocked and sang to sleep and changed. I miss the little girl who tried to clean things up to make your aunt feel better after she lost her baby. I miss the teenager who worked hard and learned as much as she could and was the best big sister she could be. I miss the college student and the young woman who followed the example of her big sister, and raised a child she didn't give birth to. But I see who your mom is now, and while I wish I could be a part of making her into that woman ..." Sophia replied, and then stopped, seeing how her granddaughter's eyes were glazed over. The poor kid understood maybe a third of what she was saying. Sophia finished a bit sheepishly, "Yes, I did miss your mommy. I missed her a lot."

Now that, Ailsa did understand. She turned in Sophia's embrace and wrapped her little arms around Sophia's neck, pressing a butterfly kiss against her cheek. Sophia tightened her own arms around the little girl, blinking back tears. For the first time, she allowed herself to admit just how much she envied her oldest daughter and her husband. It wasn't just Natalie's life she missed, but a good portion of Octavia's as well. She missed it all. And while she and Carlyon were still piecing their marriage back together, she missed her husband as well.

"Is … everything okay?" Natalie asked hesitantly, and Sophia looked up to see her book-end daughters standing in the threshold of Ailsa's room. Natalie's hands were still wrapped in plastic, but she was wearing a bathrobe and her hair was wrapped up in a towel. Her older sister's arm was around her protectively. Natalie continued after a minute, "Priscilla and I were just coming to make sure … well, it doesn't matter. Is everything okay?" Her gaze switched from Ailsa to Sophia and back again. Sophia tried to smile, meaning to reassure her youngest that everything was fine, and there was nothing for her to worry about. However, Ailsa decided to take matters into her own hands, as she so often did.

"Mama Sophia is sad, Mommy, 'cause she missed you so much. She got sad when she combed my hair," the little girl informed her mother. Natalie's lips parted, while Priscilla got a devious expression on her face, one that Sophia immediately recognized. She inherited that devious look from her father, although no doubt the last four decades honed it. Her firstborn was up to something, and it wasn't just her current height. And then, Priscilla smiled sweetly. Oh yes. She was most definitely up to something.

"I have an idea. Why don't I take Ailsa into your bedroom, Mama, and finish combing her hair? You can comb Natalie's hair, since her hands are still wrapped, and after I finish combing Ailsa's hair, I'll set up the DVD player. What do you think, Ailsa, do you wanna see your mom's favorite film when she was a little girl?" Priscilla asked. Sophia winced at the squeal her granddaughter made, but smiled at her oldest daughter's offer. Priscilla looked at her younger sister, adding, "That okay with you, Nat? It's been years since you and Aili watched Disney's _Robin Hood_, and I know Mama's never seen it." Among other things.

"That ... that sounds great, actually," Natalie replied with a shy smile, and Sophia's heart leapt in her chest. Her daughter continued, "You, ah, will be helping out the others downstairs?" Downstairs? Oh. OH! Of course, she was referring to the decision of what to do about Lola Wycliffe. Natalie quietly excused herself during their conversation, saying that she didn't trust herself to do the right thing, to act out of justice, rather than vengeance. Sophia thought it was far more likely that her rage terrified her daughter so badly, she didn't trust herself around the other woman. She didn't blame her.

Priscilla smiled brightly and said, "Then it's settled. We'll swap girls, Mama, I'll get Ailsa and the DVD set up and then you two can take care of the rest." Sophia would take care of her youngest daughter and granddaughter, while the rest of the family dealt with the bitch who tried to divide this family and this team. She didn't care who came up with the eventual outcome. All she cared about was that the Pharm would learn not to cross her family and that Lola Wycliffe could never again hurt someone she cared about.

TWTWTWTWTWTWTW

After Owen finished checking over Natalie and Ailsa, he returned to the Hub to check over the kidnapper. Something he should have done when they secured her, but in truth, he was far more concerned about Jack, Natalie, and Ailsa. The young doctor made sure that he didn't disturb Jack or Esther, who were sleeping soundly in each others' arms. (_Way to go_, Esther, he thought, smiling slightly at the sight of the two.) The (now) former teacher sniped as he entered the temporary morgue and turned up the lighting just enough for him to see, "Well, if it isn't the former dead man walking." Owen ignored her and chose to focus on the damage Natalie inflicted on her. No matter what the Tregarths decided, how they would react to this, it was Lola Wycliffe who was the dead walking now. Besides, her sniping meant that his idea worked. She was definitely un-nerved by being alone in this room, aside from the dead.

Keeping his touch cool and impersonal, Owen pulled up the woman's shirt to check her over, allowing himself a low whistle. Most of the damage was bruising, although it seemed as if some of Natalie's more focused blows at least cracked a few ribs. Owen said conversationally, "Well, I have to admit, I never would have known that Natalie had it in her, but it's the quiet ones who are the most dangerous. Still waters run deep, yeah?" He hid a smile at the way Wycliffe's eyes flashed. Apparently, she never anticipated that Natalie would react so … fiercely. Not a smart move. Even Owen knew better than _that_.

He continued, "Once Natalie and Ailsa are settled, the rest of the family will be here to decide your fate. And when I say 'family,' I mean Torchwood. Carlyon Tregarth was the director of Torchwood Three in the 1960's. His wife Sophia was his unofficial second in command." Owen had the pleasure of seeing the color drain from the woman's face and he added, "Didn't know that, did you? And I'm willing to bet, too, that you didn't know that Angelo Colasanto was a business associate of Director Tregarth's, either, the same business associate who ensured the safe delivery of Natalie Tregarth, thirty-five years ago. So, suffice it to say that mentioning Olivia Colasanto's little stunt during Miracle Day was not one of your smarter moves."

He (virtuously) kept from telling her about the blackmail tapes which the Colasanto bint made. At least, he was assuming they were blackmail tapes … Carlyon Tregarth didn't explain that part. Besides, Wycliffe's expression was distinctly horrified. Good. Owen concluded his exam, adding, "You know, it seems to me that you got off lightly. Natalie just beat you up. Mainly because she took you by surprise, but still. Priscilla destroyed someone whose petty feud nearly got Natalie killed … completely ruined the bird's life. Octavia's two sons were abducted by a pathetic little worm when they weren't much older than Aili. You wanna know what happened to that bloke when he demanded that she betray her husband's partner to get her boys back? He ended up with lead poisoning of the bullet kind. So, I really do think you got off lightly in just getting your arse kicked."

Now, Wycliffe's face was entirely devoid of color. Owen shook his head, almost pitying her. _Almost_. He sighed, "You really didn't know anything about the Tregarth family, did you? You just knew that they were friends with Jack, and so you went after the most vulnerable members of the family. Did it ever cross your mind that even if the Tregarths and Jack weren't Torchwood, that even if they did call the police, Natalie _might_ have been charged with assault, but it wouldn't have gone anywhere, not after everything she and her family did during the 456 mess, and the planet being moved, and then the Miracle. You picked the wrong family to mess with, and you should have just let things with Jack go. You've sealed your own fate."

"You bet she has," Esther Drummond said coldly, quietly. Owen looked up as she and Jack entered the temporary morgue. Her eyes flickered to Tosh's iron coffin, and then she looked at Wycliffe as Owen rose slowly to his feet. Carlyon, Priscilla, Octavia, Octavia's two boys, Matheson, and Adriane entered behind Esther and Jack, the immortal wrapping his arms around the blonde girl from behind. Esther settled her hands over his wrists as Jack rested his chin atop her head. Owen bit back a smile. He wondered if either of them had any idea how cute they were together, and decided to tell them later. Esther asked, "Are Nat and Ailsa okay?"

"They're fine. I left them in Mama's bedroom, Ailsa tucked in between Mama and Natalie while they watch the 1973 Disney version of _Robin Hood_. And yes, Owen, I made sure the bandages stayed dry while she showered. It wouldn't surprise me if she's asleep already," Priscilla replied. Owen inclined his head to her in thanks. It wasn't anything life threatening, of course, but it was nice to know that they would listen to him when he advised them about their general health and well being. Unlike some people. He cast a sidelong glance at Jack, who was studiously ignoring him. Prat. Priscilla folded her arms over her chest, asking, "So, what do we do about a problem like Lola? Personally, I like the idea of sticking her into the field like a scarecrow and let the vultures have her."

"First, wow. How long did it take you to come up with an opening line like that, Pris? Really? '_What do we do about a problem like Lola_?' **Really**?" Octavia asked, raising her eyebrows mockingly at her older sister. Priscilla rolled her eyes in obvious exasperation, but didn't take the bait. That was one of the many things Owen liked about her. After a moment, Octavia continued more soberly, "I kinda like that idea, Pris, but do those poor vultures deserve to get food poisoning? I mean, they haven't done anything to hurt us. Rex and I were talking about Vlad the Impaler, and he had some very creative ideas. I'm rather partial to taking one of our old garden hoes and shoving up her ass. Don't bother to sharpen the handle. It'll hurt more if it's dull." That made Owen gulp. Oh yes. Just what he needed. Yet another reminder not to _ever_ piss off Miss Octavia.

"You can't do that to me! I have rights, or haven't you ever heard of '_cruel and unusual punishment_,' you bunch of inbreds?" Wycliffe snarled, and then squeaked when Priscilla stepped forward and bitch-slapped her hard across the face. She stared at Priscilla in shock. It was hardly the fiercest slap Owen had ever seen. On the other hand, Priscilla was known to be the pacifist sister. The family knew it, Torchwood South knew it, and the town as a whole knew it. And yet here she was, bitch-slapping the woman who kidnapped her niece. Wycliffe looked as if her world flipped upside down and inside out at the same time.

"Kindly allow me to correct you, Miss Wycliffe. First, Torchwood South is akin to an embassy, which means that technically speaking, you're on British soil. Oh. Now you're starting to understand the implications. Secondly, as Jack so kindly pointed out earlier, Torchwood is beyond the law and above the government. We answer only to the Crown of England. Not even UNIT gets to determine what we do and what we don't do. With the ending of the Miracle, it was judged that Torchwood needed to have a presence here in the United States. Certain legalities are being worked out, since we're all American citizens except Jack and Owen, but the thing you need to know, Miss Wycliffe? As an employee of Torchwood, my daughter is under the protection of the Crown. Do I really need to spell things out to you further?" Carlyon asked silkily. Judging from Wycliffe's now-ashen complexion, Owen really didn't think so.

"General translation? You should count yourself lucky to even still be breathing, lady," Esther growled. Wycliffe sneered at her, but Esther wasn't backing down. Her brown eyes blazed with fury as she snarled, "You kidnapped a child dear to me, trying to use that child as leverage against her mother, who is my best friend, to hurt my man. As far as I'm concerned, both Priscilla and Octavia are being entirely too merciful, because if it was up to me, if it was my nieces whom you kidnapped, I'd blood-eagle you!" To Owen's amusement, Matheson's jaw dropped, Jack raised his eyebrows, while Carlyon seemed to be taking that into consideration.

"Uh, Esther, I thought the Drummonds were of Scottish extraction?" Lucas pointed out helpfully as Jack tightened his arms around the former analyst. Owen wasn't sure if it was because he was worried that she would try to carry out said blood-eagle right here and right now; or if it was because he was incredibly turned on by her possessiveness and her anger. With Jack, it could go either way. However, judging from the way the captain was looking at the blonde, Owen had a hunch that it was the latter, rather than the former.

"We are. But you know the Vikings, and Norse settlers in general, colonized parts of Scotland," Esther defended herself. Owen would take her word for it, especially after seeing the young medic's expression. He was nodding thoughtfully, and Esther went on, "So, what are we going to do about her? We can't leave her down here. I don't give a damn about her comfort, but Toshiko deserves better than to share her space with this bitch. That would be cruel and unusual punishment for Toshiko. Never mind that she's dead, she still deserves better."

"Quite," Carlyon agreed, beaming at Esther. Okay, what was up with that? A glance at Jack told him that his captain also noticed the interest Carlyon took in the young blonde. It wasn't anything creepy; more like, he looked at her the same way he looked at his daughters and granddaughters. Jack shrugged, ever so slightly, which told Owen that the other man was as in the dark as Owen himself. The doctor wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. Bad things tended to happen when Jack didn't have certain important information. Carlyon went on, "So, we have scare-crowing, impaling, and blood-eagling. Any other suggestions?"

"We could Retcon her back to infancy and dump her ass in the middle of nowhere," Jason suggested. Ah, there was the suggestion Owen was awaiting, although not from the person he thought it would come from. The former soldier was hit with a number of disbelieving stares, and Jason added, shrugging a bit uncomfortably, "I just wanted to throw that out there. The suggestion would have been made sooner or later, and I wanted to be the one who made it." Ah. Interesting, especially since everyone was expecting Jack to make that suggestion and not Jason, who was known to be far gentler.

Of course, that completely opened up the conversation. Some of the ideas, it seemed as if '_the sky's the limit_' was the literal truth. Jack had very little to offer, which surprised a few people, but not Owen. For his own part, the doctor kept silent, while an idea germinated in the back of his mind. While he appreciated the wildly creative ideas (especially from the ladies … scary creative ideas, emphasis on 'scary'), Owen developed a more subtle sense for punishments, disciplines, and teaching people a lesson while he was in the other dimension. But for now, he would be entertained, not only by the suggestions made, but by Wycliffe's reactions. He didn't think anyone could have topped Esther's suggestion of a blood-eagle, but Priscilla Tregarth managed it. Scary ladies. Very scary ladies.

TBC


	7. Chapter 6: The Psych Effect

Author's Notes: Okay, this is the second to last chapter. Next chapter will wrap up with a perspective (mostly) from the bad guys, and then an epilogue follows. In this chapter, Carlyon learns a bit more about the short-term goals of the Pharm; Owen offers a suggestion; Jack makes a plan; and a sleepy observation from Natalie provides unexpected hope to Sophia. I'm outlining the next story in the series, which involves a road trip.

Chapter Six

The Psych Effect

Half of any op was psychology. That was one of the first things he learned, both as a soldier and as an operative. It was one reason Carlyon opted to have the discussion about Wycliffe's fate in front of her. And the other reason? Well, he was really hoping to catch Jack and Esther in the act. However, both the former analyst and his old friend were not only awake, but fully dressed. However, they were casting each other some very interesting glances. It actually made Carlyon jealous, and he didn't think he was capable of feeling such idiotic, childish emotions any more. _Yet another delusion shattered, old boy_, he told himself. At his age, he shouldn't have any more delusions. At his age, he shouldn't have a lot of things, but '_should have_' and '_shouldn't have_' didn't have a lot of meaning for him at this point in his life.

In any event, once they all reached the temporary morgue (because he really did want something better for their fallen members), he was pleased to see Owen checking over the woman, although he was a little surprised to see the (many) bruises his daughter inflicted on her. It seemed Natalie was a lot stronger than he realized ... maybe even stronger than she realized. Either she was stronger than he thought or her rage and terror gave her strength. Regardless of the reason, it was time that rage was channeled properly. Part of it would go into cleaning, and Carlyon needed to figure out something else. Maybe it was time he put the targets up for practice once more. However, before he did that, he needed her to understand exactly what she did wrong and why he needed her to keep her focus in the field, rather than allowing her emotions to rule her. The lives of her teammates would be in her hands, after all, once she was cleared for the field. Carlyon was confident that his youngest understood that, but he wanted there to be no confusion.

She would no doubt ask why it was for losing control, rather than assaulting that woman. He was still figuring out the best way to answer that. And really, he wasn't sure if he should be worried or impressed by the suggestions he was hearing from his daughters and Esther. Rex Matheson was staring at Esther with absolute shock and just a little horror, but Carlyon found he liked her idea of blood-eagling. He would have to remember to tell Sophia about that. She would, no doubt, appreciate the suggestion. You would never have thought that the gentle daughter of a diplomat could be so blood-thirsty, but his Sophia was full of surprises.

And judging from Wycliffe's expression, it was clear that she never expected the Tregarths to react so fiercely. Not Natalie, with her rage; nor her sisters, with their terrifying creativity, and not Esther, who wasn't a Tregarth but loved Ailsa (and Jack) … oh, no. She never expected any of this. When he judged that Wycliffe was sufficiently spooked, he held up his hand and the suggestions stopped. He asked simply, "How did the Pharm come into contact with the Colasanto family?"

Jack, who made no suggestions and indeed said very little, observed, "I think I can guess. Angelo had men in Cardiff, watching over me. Once his condition began to deteriorate, his granddaughter took control of the family and that was how contact was established. That's assuming, of course, that some rogue child or grandchild didn't decide to help fund the Pharm." Wycliffe's expression announced to them all that Jack was one hundred percent correct in his second supposition, and Owen growled softly.

"That family was divided, you see, between those who saw the world as Angelo Colasanto did, and those who were visionaries. Olivia, she was a visionary. After you shut us down, after you destroyed everything we worked for, she sought us out and offered us the chance to continue our work back here in the States. She had various contacts that would allow us to work in secret. She asked me to come here, though, to Oklahoma, because she wanted to keep an eye on the Tregarth family. Never explained why, just said that her grandfather made a habit of trusting the wrong people," Wycliffe rasped out. Esther growled this time and started to pull out of Jack's arms, but he kept her against his chest, arms tightening around her waist.

"She wanted you to spy on us? The little bitch should have been worrying about the Families, rather than little ol' us. Then again, it's crossed my mind more than once that she sold out to the Families herself. I mean, come on … sending her men to kidnap the Cooper family, when she could have just as easily appealed to Jack's rampant curiosity?" Octavia observed and Carlyon spared his middle daughter an approving smile. Yes, that was something he found quite curious himself. However, the woman was dead and unable to harm anyone ever again, and whatever she was thinking died with her. Assuming, of course, that she was thinking at all.

"That doesn't explain why Ailsa was kidnapped. Okay, I get that you bunch of xenophobes wanted to use my niece as leverage to get Natalie to bring Jack to you, and I really don't want to know what you planned to do to him or with him. Mind out of the gutter, Jack. But why now? Jack's been here for months, why choose now?" Priscilla asked. Jack's lips quirked into a small smile at Priscilla's gentle teasing, but he said nothing. He was being suspiciously quiet, and Carlyon always worried when Jack was this quiet. Not that he had anything to fear, but it was the principle of the thing.

"Because we needed him out of the way. With Olivia's murder at the hands of the Families, we had to move shop and it was decided that a rural area would be best for our purposes, and with Harkness around, we would never be safe. Sooner or later, something would catch his attention and history would repeat itself. We know we can't kill him, but plans were being made to … contain … him. It was my job to get him to the facility. Kidnapping the brat seemed the easiest way to do it, since it worked for Olivia," Wycliffe replied. While Jack was fast enough to prevent Esther from lunging for the former teacher, no one was able to keep Priscilla from taking a single step forward and slapping her hard across the face. Wycliffe gave a muffled cry, her head rocked to one side by the force of the blow. Carlyon winced, but didn't chastise Priscilla.

"That was quite possibly the single most stupid mistake you could have made, you dumb bitch! Whether it was taking our niece or underestimating our little sister, take your pick! More than that, if the Pharm left us alone, we might have left them alone. But no. No, you had to go after someone we love, you had to involve our baby sister and her little girl, so congratulations: you idiots have started something none of you can finish. Because I guarantee you, as I stand here, we will find exactly where the Pharm is, and we will wipe your brethren off the face of the planet!" his eldest daughter hissed in outrage.

Wycliffe shrank away from her, eyes wide as she seemed to finally understand exactly what kind of Pandora's Box she and the Pharm opened with the abduction of Ailsa, and their attempt to use her as leverage. Priscilla nodded once, before stepping away, and went on, "A few years ago, someone special to me told a group of invading aliens that an injury done to one was an injury done to all. Something you should have taken note of. Just because none of us share Jack's blood, just because none of us are connected to him by DNA, doesn't mean he's not family. He _is_. And you made your final mistake when you attacked our family."

"And that, my darling daughter, leads into the question of what we should do about Miss Wycliffe. And yes, I know I heard some lovely suggestions earlier. If it weren't for the mess, I would go with Esther's suggestion of blood-eagling. Thank you for the reminder that it's often the most gentle who are the most dangerous, my dear," Carlyon said, inclining his head toward the young woman in question. Esther blushed, and Carlyon continued, "So. The question remains. As Priscilla put it so well earlier, what do we do about a problem like Lola?"

The answer came from someone _very_ unexpected as Owen Harper smiled suddenly, looked up from his intense scrutiny of his hiking boots, and said, "We let her go." There were gasps of shock and horror from the three women, Rex muttering, '_what the hell kinda drugs are you on, Harper_?' But Jack? Jack was looking at the doctor. And he was smiling. Those two were up to something. If Jack wasn't helping to plan whatever Owen was thinking, he had a pretty good idea of what that something was. And instead of cutting the young man off, Carlyon motioned for him to explain exactly what he was thinking.

TWTWTWTWTW

Jack knew exactly what Owen was thinking, but right now, it was the younger man's show. Owen shuffled forward, saying, "It isn't that the ideas aren't creative, or that they aren't deserved. God, are they deserved! But they aren't real practical. First and foremost, if we kill her, where do we put her body? If it was my daughter whom she kidnapped, I think I'd want to hang this bitch in the town square after we were done with her. Satisfying, but not real practical, on so many levels. So we let her go. Because now, she'll have to have to look over her shoulder, she'll have to hear the whispers about her. The entire community knows what she's done, or will know by the time the Hallorans and Charles Havelock are done. We didn't swear them to secrecy. Everyone will know what she did, albeit not why. No one will trust her. And every day, she'll be looking over her shoulder, wondering when the axe will fall."

As he talked, he kept looking over at Wycliffe. So did Jack, and the woman's initial relief was giving way to trepidation. Carlyon said as Owen finished, "Interesting presentation, Dr. Harper. However, I'm not ready to render a judgment at this time. Please make sure my granddaughter's former teacher is secured before you join us in the computer room of the house. Priscilla, if you would be so good as to go first up the ladder? I need you to make sure that your sister and niece are both asleep; also, ask your mother if she wishes to join us?" Priscilla nodded and left the morgue. Through the open door, Jack could see her shimmying the ladder as if she was half her age. Jack pressed a kiss in Esther's pale hair and released her so she could follow Priscilla.

He would be one of the last to the ladder, while Owen finished double-checking Wycliffe's bonds. As Esther ascended the ladder, she smiled at him sweetly. _No expectations, Jack_, she told him as they were dressing, only moments before Carlyon and the others entered the bunkhouse, _no expectations from either one of us_. That promise meant a great deal to him, and he showed his appreciation by kissing her quite thoroughly.

One by one, the others went up the ladder, until only Owen and Jack remained. The doctor rose to his feet, observing, "That should keep her until Director Tregarth makes his decision. I made sure to tie her feet to the legs of the chair." Jack nodded. Good. That was good. Owen went on a bit hesitantly, "So, I was thinking about what you said, about giving Tosh a show." _Oh, really_? After a moment, Owen went on, "I think she'd enjoy it. It always upset her when I behaved like an arse toward you or Tea-boy especially." Well, yes, but. . . Jack had no more time to think, because Owen was sliding his hand around the nape of his neck and drawing his head down for a kiss. Both men ignored the disgusted '_oh, get a room_' from their captive, and when Owen pulled back, he whispered, "You're still ours, Jack, and you always will be."

"Of course I will. Just as you lot will always be mine. Even Suzie," Jack answered in a hushed voice. He kissed Owen's forehead, adding, "I can't promise that I'll always remember your name, Owen. But I will never forget any of you." Owen responded with a small smile at that and wrapped his arms around Jack's waist, resting his head against his chest. Jack returned his embrace, kissing the top of the younger man's head. Owen's arms tightened a bit, and there was a small hitch in his breathing. They held onto each other for a few minutes, these last two remaining members of Torchwood Cardiff.

"C'mon, Harkness," Owen finally whispered, "let's get our bums upstairs before someone decides to come down here. Although I wouldn't say '_no_' to a threesome with Esther …" Jack laughed outright at that and released the physician, who stepped away from him. He pressed two fingers to his lips and then those same fingers to the glass over Tosh's face, his customary '_good-bye_' every time he left the temporary morgue. He swatted Owen's butt, drawing a look of mock-indignation from the Londoner, but Owen left the morgue without further protests. Jack enjoyed the scenery briefly (though not as much as he would have if Owen was ascending the ladder), then looked back at Wycliffe and winked. She rolled her eyes with disgust, making Jack smile.

And then he turned his attention to Tosh, smiling gently. He whispered, "I'll do my best to take care of him, sweetheart. You just keep an eye on this one." There had to be a trick of the light, because it almost looked as if Tosh was smiling at him. He blew her a kiss, and then followed the others. Owen was in the bunkhouse, alone, and staring down at the bed. He looked at Jack, looked at the bed, and then at Jack once more. The immortal smirked a little, asking, "Yes, Owen? Something you'd like to say?"

"Not really, I don't think. Just amazed that the bed is still upright, after all your acrobatics. And no, I don't wanna hear any of your stories!" Owen insisted. Jack merely smirked and Owen rolled his eyes, muttering under his breath. The two men went into the main house, where they found the rest of the team, except Natalie and Sophia, gathered. Owen asked, before anyone had a chance to say a word, "Everything okay with our missing ladies? Do I need to change Natalie's bandages?" Jack bit back a grin when Priscilla settled both hands on her hips and glowered at Owen. He swallowed hard, backed up into Jack and squeaked out, "Never mind."

"Natalie and Ailsa are both asleep. Sophia is awake, but staying with them. All right, Doctor Harper, since I noticed the way you and Jack were interacting in the morgue, out with it. What is the rest of your idea?" Carlyon asked. Owen looked over his shoulder at Jack, who merely shrugged. He did tell Owen that Carlyon and Sophia were both his lovers once. Owen just rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to the rest of the team. Priscilla was looking curious, Octavia amused, and Rex just looked annoyed.

"Okay, it's like this. It sounds cruel, but we have a Rift here. I'm thinking that we can take her to the middle of nowhere, an open field somewhere. Give her a backpack full of supplies. If she gets back to town, she'll be facing kidnapping charges. Otherwise, the Rift can have her," Owen replied. He paused, looked at Jack for confirmation, and when the immortal nodded, the doctor went on, "It's the most practical solution. I have no issue with killing the stupid bint. I really, really don't. But I am concerned with where we'll keep her, because I will not tolerate her body being in my med-bay or anywhere _near _Tosh."

"You know, what he says makes a lot of sense. I'm not thrilled with the idea of her getting back to town, especially if she's still sporting the bruises that Nat gave her. But … I think it's the best idea under the circumstances. Much as I like the idea of blood-eagling her … I'll have to remember that, Esther …and the other nasty things we could do to her, it seems that Owen's suggestion is the best," Priscilla said slowly. She was leaning against the computer desk, arms now folded over her chest. She looked at Owen, adding, "The local sheriff knows that things have changed. She doesn't know about Torchwood, but she knows about the disappearances and she knows about Jack being beaten up. She let it go because he didn't press charges." _Wait, what_? Priscilla added, shrugging a little, "It seems there were witnesses."

"Damn, should have thought of that myself," Owen muttered. That made two of them, but Owen glared at Jack, adding, "Don't even think it, Harkness, you were too busy being used as a punching bag to worry about witnesses. I should have had Halloran find out while we were waiting for you to come back, but I didn't think about it. Miss Priscilla, what about this sheriff? Do you think she can be trusted?" Jack couldn't argue with Owen. He'd been busy getting the hell beaten out of him, and then he'd been too busy dying. Still. It was his job to think of those things. Even if he wasn't the head of Torchwood in name, he was still field team leader.

"I don't know her that well, but Ava Halloran does. I suggest we ask Ava to be our liaison with the sheriff's office. She has already worked with them, and the last thing she said to me before they left was to call her if we needed anything. Emphasis on 'anything.' And she'd probably hurt us if we didn't take her up on that," Priscilla replied dryly. Jack barely bit back a grin. She was absolutely right about that. Ava Halloran was the very definition of '_small but mighty_,' along with some other ladies he knew… such as the Tregarths, as well as Martha.

"You mentioned a minute ago, Priscilla, about sending her back with the bruises Natalie gave her. I think Mr. Colasanto managed to save a few things that might help with that, if Mr. Tregarth gives his 'okay.' I don't know if he thinks that would take away from Nat's … erm… punishment for losing control," Owen replied, and Carlyon immediately shook his head. Jack hadn't thought he would see it in that way, but people were quite capable of surprising you, something Jack learned the hard way many times over the decades.

"No. No, the punishment, the discipline, is designed to encourage Natalie's control in the field. If she was younger, or inclined to striking people just because, that would be one thing. However, she is thirty-five years old and quite the opposite. This is the first time I've ever seen my daughter physically lash out, at anyone. I think that's what fuels her nightmares as much as her fears of what might have happened, to Ailsa or to Jack. Which reminds me, Jack," Carlyon said, turning to face him. The captain nodded. He had an idea about that, and he would see to easing Natalie's nightmares before he planned out what he would do to the Pharm. He would need Lucas and Jason's help for that, though, and maybe Carlyon's as well.

He would see to a young woman who was his responsibility, or would be once she was cleared for field duty. And then he would teach the Pharm a lesson they would _never_ forget.

TWTWTWTW

It was hideously easy, when all was said and done. Once the meeting was officially concluded, Jack told the Martinelli boys exactly what he wanted to do. The brothers looked at each other, smiled, and returned their attention to Jack. Carlyon got the information from Wycliffe, whose tongue was loosened by the prospect of being released. Owen was there at the time, and watched as Carlyon manipulated her into telling him what he needed to know. It was actually terrifying, watching the old man work. He had an idea of what it must have been like, the team of Tregarth and Harkness back in the day. Carlyon was smooth and silky and subtle, and Owen found himself fearing the director.

Within a very short time, they were back upstairs, and while Carlyon was taking the contact information to Lucas and Jason, Owen tracked down his erstwhile captain. Jack was in their shared bedroom, searching through his wardrobe. Without looking around, Jack observed, "I think it's a given that Natalie will have nightmares for a while. I'm trying to alleviate those nightmares. In some ways, the most powerful of the human senses is that of smell. If I give Sophia a shirt of mine, it may reassure Natalie on a subconscious level."

Owen blinked in astonishment. What Jack was doing didn't surprise him. How he was doing it, did. He was being so matter of fact about it. Jack looked over his shoulder at Owen, asking, "Owen? Everything okay?" Owen nodded, and the captain went on, "Anyhow, once I drop this off with Sophia, I'll check in with Jason and Lucas to see about their progress. How are you with operating a video camera?" Huh? Jack continued, "Okay, got it. I'll check with Rex, Esther or the two older sisters, since the boys are working on the computer virus I requested."

Before the doctor had a chance to protest, Jack was out of their room and heading for Sophia's. He rapped lightly on the door and then slipped inside. Owen considered reminding Jack that Sophia didn't invite them in, but the sight of the other two figures in the bed quickly silenced him. Jack's features softened at the picture before them. Ailsa lay across her mother and grandmother's laps, head resting against her mother's hip, while Natalie lay curled against her mother, her head resting on Sophia's shoulder. The red-head looked up with a smile and beckoned them into the room.

"I'm glad you're here, Jack … Natalie was getting agitated a little earlier with a nightmare," she murmured. Jack sat down on the bed beside Natalie and stroked the side of her face, before easing his shirt into the young woman's grasp. Sophia raised her eyebrows, murmuring, "Not a solution I would have considered, but a good one, nonetheless. You can't very well come in here every time Natalie has a nightmare, and Natalie doesn't want to leave Ailsa, so this is a terrific compromise and heads trouble off at the pass, so to speak. Carlyon was in here a few minutes, and I like the solution you came up with, Owen. Care to enlighten me?"

He shrugged as he sat down beside Jack, answering softly, "I just know that sometimes, anticipation is far worse than any actual retaliation. There were a few times when I would play a prank on Tea-boy … I mean, Ianto … and he wouldn't retaliate for a while. At first, I'd congratulate myself on him not doing anything and I'd feel safe. And then, he would smile in a particular way, and that was when I'd start to worry. Whether the Rift takes her or she makes it back to town, no one will ever trust her again. The parents in town have either realized or will realize that she's been using them all along, using them and using their children, and then, she'll be screwed. And not in a good way, either."

"Interesting. Very interesting. I'm not sure that I'd agree that people would never trust her again, but I can see your point. As long as she stays away from my children and grandchildren, I really don't care _what_ happens to her. Carlyon, though, thinks your solution is the best one all around, and that's the important thing. So, now that Esther has made her move, where does that leave the two of you?" Sophia asked. Owen started to bristle, because it was the first time since Matheson opened his big yap that anyone asked about whatever this was between them. But her expression wasn't of carnal interest. No. No, she wasn't asking because she was interested in a threesome. She was asking because … because Jack was her friend and she wanted more than anything to make sure that he wouldn't be hurt.

And because he was the one she was really asking, Owen answered, "Where we've always been." Sophia considered that a moment, and then nodded her satisfaction. Owen added after a moment, "I know. I know you're asking because you love him." Jack was looking from one to the other with a bemused expression. Sophia only nodded, and Owen added, wanting to make them both smile, "Mind you, I haven't given up on a threesome with Harkness here and Esther. She's awful cute, you gotta admit."

"She's pretty, but do you mind not discussing that with little ears listening? There are some things I'm just not ready to explain to her about, and that heads the list," a soft, sleepy voice asked from the general vicinity of Sophia's collarbone. Owen leaned forward a little, the bed dipping under his weight, to find a pair of half-mast hazel eyes blinking at him. He winced a little, and Natalie murmured, "You didn't wake me up. Not sure yet what did. Is everything okay? Mama, why does my pillow smell like Jack?"

Sophia's eyes widened at the unexpected question and its implications. Jack's smile broadened and he stroked her face lightly, murmuring, "Everything's fine, and I gave you one of my shirts to stave off the nightmares. Figured if you had something of mine, you'd know I was okay." Natalie smiled up at him sleepily and Jack caressed a lock of hair away from her face, adding, "Now, go back to sleep before you wake up your Little Ears here … everything's under control." Natalie bobbed her head sleepily and her eyes slid closed once more as Jack's light caresses continued. Once her breathing evened out once more, Jack pulled his hand away and rose to his feet. Sophia was still blinking back tears, mouth, '_mama, she called me mama_' over and over again. Jack smiled at her, thumb brushing along her cheekbone, and then quietly left the room. Owen followed with a small smile.

As they left the room, Jack's mobile beeped and he murmured, "They're ready. That didn't take long. C'mon, Owen, we have a video to shoot." Ahh, yes, the second part of the nefarious plan. Jack wanted the Pharm to know of their existence in Oklahoma. He wanted them to know that he was coming for them. He wanted them to see him coming, and know there was no place they could hide from him. The moment Lola Wycliffe abducted Ailsa to get to Jack, the Pharm became a target of Torchwood South … and he wanted them to know that, too. The immortal continued after a moment, "There's a part of me which wants you to stay here when we get the information we need about their hideout."

Owen nodded, making no other response. Jack said '_a part of him_,' which meant he was still undecided. The last time they encountered the Pharm, Owen died. Jack was already compulsively protective by nature (if there was such a phrase, and if not, well, Owen just made it up), the rest of their team was lost to him, and he would think twice before allowing Owen into another dangerous situation. After a moment, Jack continued, "But I know that you spent four years on your own, in another dimension, going up against who knows what. I know you're capable, Owen." The doctor put his hand on Jack's elbow, drawing his attention.

"I know, Jack. We'll see what my legal status is, once we track down the Pharm. Even if you keep me out of the field this time, I won't hold it against you … even if you want me to," Owen replied. Jack grinned at that, and Owen continued, quietly proud of himself "So, this virus is gonna disrupt the Pharm's computer systems?" His companion nodded as they started walking again, and Owen went on, "All right, so … it'll disrupt the computer systems, and tell us exactly where they are, but we aren't going in right away?"

"Exactly. You remember what you were saying about Ianto letting you stew in your own juices after you pulled a prank on him, letting you think you'd gotten away with it at first?" Jack asked and Owen was relieved that Jack's voice cracked only a little when he spoke Ianto's name. However, he didn't comment on it, and Jack went on, "It's the same idea. They'll be under surveillance. And when the time is right, we'll move in and take them down." Owen barely fought back a shudder at the quiet, cold note that entered his friend's voice. Jack was always at his most dangerous when he was being particularly quiet or incredibly pleasant. Actually, based on some of the nightmares Owen heard, it was extremely likely that Jack was dangerous in his undershorts (assuming he wore any). By now, Owen heard several nightmares pertaining to Satellite Five, where Jack died the first time. That was the only real problem about sharing a room with Jack: he was learning things he'd rather not about his captain.

"And you have no issue with 'letting her go,' so to speak," Owen questioned. Jack smirked, and then Owen remembered. He smiled, adding, "You let Mary go, too, in a manner of speaking." He remembered how angry he was with Tosh over the pendant that allowed her to read his and Gwen's thoughts (and wondered for the first time about what she heard from Jack and Ianto). He remembered, too, how angry Tosh was with Jack at first for killing the alien murderess, but now he saw the entire situation with different eyes. Amazing what dying and then being on your own could do to change your perspective. There was a brief shadow that crossed Jack's face, but he inclined his head. Owen murmured, "I never realized that sometimes the worst thing you can do to someone is absolutely nothing. Well, sending her into the sun wasn't nothing, but still. Will the director have supplies sent along with her?"

"I'm sure he will. It has nothing to do with kindness or compassion," Jack acknowledged, "and everything to do with showing her that he's better than she is. And maybe he'll want to torture her a bit, too." Owen frowned at that, forcing the other man to explain, "Depending on her mentality, she may be wondering why he's doing this, whether the supplies are poisoned or no longer usable … especially if he asks Natalie to do it." Oh. He hadn't thought of that. Jack added, "Not that she would. Natalie tends to be more direct." Yeah, Owen noticed that.

As they headed for the computer room together, Owen asked, "So, what about Natalie calling Sophia her mum?" Within days of his arrival home, he was brought up to speed, not just about the Tregarth matriarch's long years in a medically-induced coma, but the subterfuge within the family. Owen could understand Priscilla's soft confession as they both found themselves in the family room Thanksgiving night, unable to sleep and unwilling to wake up anyone else. It was never her intention to take her mother's place, but Natalie believed she was her mother, and Priscilla couldn't bring herself to correct the child.

Jack sighed, answering, "I don't know. It's a good sign for Sophia, especially since Natalie was half-awake. It means that on some level, she's starting to think of Sophia as her mother. I just hope for her sake that Sophia doesn't … well, that she isn't disappointed when a fully-awake Natalie calls her by her given name." Owen couldn't argue with that. Jack added with a slight smile, "Didn't think you'd take an interest in the domestics." The doctor shrugged a little. There was a time when he would have taken Jack's words as a challenge or worse, an insult.

"I realized when I came here that I would become part of a family, Jack. Just by virtue of being part of yours, I was adopted into this family. And a family looks after each other, right?" Owen asked. The smile softened and Jack's eyes warmed. Owen smiled back, and bit back the caustic remark that wanted to follow. Once, just for once, he wouldn't ruin a moment. Instead, he observed, "The other part of being a family is giving each other a hard time. I'll just find another way to give Natalie a hard time." That made Jack laugh, and the two men continued onto the computer room. There was still plenty of work to do.

TBC


	8. Chapter 7: A Word to the Wise

Author's Notes: Here is the penultimate chapter. Up next is the epilogue, which will hopefully be posted by the end of the week, but I can make no promises. In this chapter, the Pharm gets a rather nasty wake-up call (courtesy of Jack, with some help from Ailsa); the Rift takes someone new; Jack and Esther provide a gift to the family; while the Families lay the groundwork for their next attempt at taking over the world and make some erroneous assumptions. Apparently, they never got the memo about making assumptions.

Chapter Seven

A Word to the Wise

Somewhere in Colorado

Three days after the botched abduction of Ailsa Tregarth

The end began with the arrival of a single email. It came from their operative in Oklahoma, whose assignment was the all-important retrieval of Captain Jack Harkness. There was nothing to suggest that it was anything other than what it purported to be: a map of where to meet Agent Wycliffe with the contained nuisance. Unfortunately for them, it was anything but, as they discovered when they opened the attachment. Instead of a map, however, they found a video. A tall, dark-haired man asked with interest, "Oh, we're rolling then? Fantastic. Hello again to the Pharm. I had hoped that I'd never encounter you lot again, but no such luck."

One by one, each of the computers within the room crashed, as Captain Jack Harkness continued in a conversational tone, "Right about now, the virus that we implanted within this email is infecting each computer attached to your system. And in turn, any contacts you have in cyber-space will also be infected. This will be the very last thing they will see. You may be wondering how things went so very, very wrong. And I'll be more than happy to enlighten you." The dark-haired man leaned forward, flattening his hands on a desk or a table, his blue eyes growing cold as he went on, "Your little mole, Wycliffe? She made a huge mistake. She was pretending to be a teacher, and one of her students was a darling little girl named 'Ailsa Tregarth,' the granddaughter of my old friend Carlyon. I repeat, big mistake. Now, Wycliffe's been put in a place where she can never again hurt anyone, but not before Natalie Tregarth beat her to a pulp. I wish someone thought to take pictures of Wycliffe's injuries, so you could see exactly what Natalie did. It's a bit scary, what a largely untrained, but highly pissed off young mother can do when someone makes the mistake of targeting her child. If any of you had even a little sense, you'd be praying to never encounter Natalie. However, I doubt if you have that much sense, given that Natalie is just an ordinary human being. Very dangerous assumption to make."

Those gathered were beginning to develop a _very_ bad feeling, because they heard about Carlyon Tregarth, and his three daughters. Jack Harkness smiled, and that smile was anything but pleasant. He added, "As I was saying, Wycliffe abducted Ailsa Tregarth, with the idea that she could get Ailsa's mother Natalie to betray me. Unfortunately for her, Natalie is a lot more resourceful than she anticipated. She discovered a way to warn me and … well. I took care of the rest. Unfortunately for you, that's drawn Torchwood South's attention to you; something that you really shouldn't have done, especially not if you wanted to 'contain' me."

By now, the viewers were barely breathing. He knew everything, or almost everything. Jack Harkness went on, that charming smile firmly in place, "You see, I can forgive a lot of things. I can, and I have. But using a child to get to me? Harming someone who matters to me? No. Oh, no. No, as I've mentioned in the past, I really don't care what you do to me. But I will not tolerate people hurting my friends, and this is the second time you've broken that particular rule. Worse, you went after a five-year-old child. So. Here's what's going to happen. The virus embedded in this email that I mentioned? The one that will infect any computers that are linked to yours, however tenuously? That's just the beginning. This is your one warning. And the only reason you're getting a warning is because I want you to see us coming, to see your end coming way down the road. Wycliffe has been dealt with … and now, it's _your_ turn."

More than one person felt as though they swallowed their tongue at that pronouncement. It was terrifying, because Captain Harkness was so very matter of fact, as if he was discussing what he had for lunch that afternoon or the weather in East Nowhere, Oklahoma. There was no anger in his voice, no malice. It was simply stated that was how things would be. Captain Harkness continued after a moment, "It won't be today or tomorrow. But our eyes will be on you, and just when you think it's safe to breathe without fear, just when you think you're finally safe, that's when we'll take you down, once and for all."

There was a disturbance off screen and Captain Harkness said, "No, it's okay. Your mom still sleeping, sweetheart? C'mon over." He knelt down and swept a little girl into his arms, settling her on his hip. He made eye contact with the camera once more, stating, "Here's someone I'd like you to meet. This is Miss Ailsa Kerren Tregarth. She's five years old, the daughter of Natalie Tregarth and the granddaughter of Carlyon and Sophia Tregarth, the little girl whom your little toady kidnapped with the idea of forcing her mother to betray me. The same little girl whose mother is a helluva lot more resourceful than Wycliffe realized. Yes, sweetheart, I know I swore, I'll put a dollar in your jar later, and then when it gets full, I'll take you out for ice cream." More than one person blinked at that last sentence.

"Okay, Jack," the child said in a piping voice, "are you talking to the bad people who wanted Mommy to hurt you?" Captain Harkness confirmed that this was, indeed, the case, and Ailsa Tregarth hugged him tightly, saying, "I'm glad Mommy didn't hurt you. I'm glad Mommy's 'sourceful, like you said. Why did they want her to hurt you? Is it just because they're bad people? Mommy 'splained it to me, but I still don't understand why they wanted Mommy to hurt you." Captain Harkness drew the little girl closer and kissed her forehead. More than one person stared at that little girl, realizing that she was what they were supposedly fighting for. They wanted to heal human beings … and this little girl was as human as they came. She just belonged to the wrong family.

"I'll explain it to you later, baby girl, if I can. Here's the important thing, ladies and gentlemen. This is the little girl you tried to use. Take a good long look at her, because this will be the first, last and only time you'll see her … if you're lucky. She is off-limits to you. If another attempt is made to harm her, her mother or anyone else in this family, the time-table for your destruction will be moved up and that you will _not_ see coming," Captain Harkness replied, the warmth in his eyes vanishing as soon as he looked away from the little girl in his arms. Ailsa Kerren Tregarth snuggled against him, her head resting on his shoulder and her small hand curling around one of his suspenders.

There was a muffled statement from whoever was holding the camera, and Captain Harkness said, "Right. Okay, Ailsa, tell the not-so-nice people '_bye_,' so your cousins can finish this up, and we can go wake up your mom. Like I said. You will see us coming. But it won't be until it'll be too late for you to do anything. You should have left us alone. Because even if you succeeded in 'containing' me, the Tregarths would have come for me. You should have left us alone." The video ended with Captain Harkness still cradling Ailsa Tregarth protectively against his body, his blue eyes as cold as ice. The room went completely dark, and more than one person thought, '_what the hell do we do now_?'

TWTWTWTWTWTWTW

A few miles from the Tregarth Homestead, Oklahoma

Later that same day

The pick-up truck bounced along the dirt road, and Lucas Martinelli relished the silence. He wasn't the only person in the pick-up, but no one really felt like talking. And the one person who might have something to say, couldn't talk. No one felt like listening to her trash-talking. To his right, in the passenger seat, sat his grandfather, who looked incredibly uncomfortable, but made no complaint. Lola Wycliffe was in the backseat, directly behind Lucas. She was bound and gagged, eyes blazing with hatred. Seated behind Grandfather was Agent Matheson, who was looking decidedly unimpressed as he held a gun on her. He wasn't the only one who was covering her: Owen Harper and Jason were in the bed of the truck, staring steadily at her.

As was discussed when this plan was agreed upon, a large, camping backpack was filled with canned food and other supplies by Natalie and Sophia earlier this morning, and Lucas' grandfather made a point of mentioning that to Wycliffe. The woman blanched as Mama Sophia settled the backpack on the woman's shoulders. Mama Sophia rolled her eyes, pulling the straps tighter than she probably needed to, and snapped, "Oh, for God's sake! It's all canned food, and if you think Natalie can poison canned food, then you're even more delusional than I thought!" Lucas snickered at the memory, especially when he thought about the expression on the former teacher's face at his grandmother's statement.

"You'll have to tell me later, Lucas," his grandfather said, and Lucas glanced at the older man. Grandfather explained, "You were laughing at something." _Oops_. Before he had a chance to apologize or say anything else, Grandfather went on, "Here. Stop here. This is where Jack recommended." Lucas eased the truck to a stop, shifted the gear into '_park_,' and turned off the engine. Behind him, he heard Rex talking to Jason and Owen, but Grandfather said, "I suggest you carry her out of the cab, gentleman, and then untie her feet." There was a brief moment of embarrassed silence, and Lucas bit down hard on his lower lip to keep from laughing aloud, especially when he heard the former CIA operative swearing. He had to fight even harder when his grandfather rolled his eyes in exasperation.

"I was just remembering, Grandfather, the look on Mama Sophia's face when she realized that bimbo-brain thought Natalie poisoned her food supplies," Lucas replied in a low voice as Rex, Owen, and Jason pushed and pulled the former teacher from the back of the pick-up truck. His grandfather actually snickered at the memory, earning them both a nasty glare from Rex, who cut the former teacher's feet loose. However, everyone paid a moment later, when Jason made the mistake of removing Wycliffe's gag, and she began assaulting their ears with very unpleasant language. Lucas sighed, "Why couldn't we bring Aunt Natalie with us?"

"I wish, kid," Owen said gruffly, and Lucas had to fight another burst of laughter when Wycliffe actually meeped in distress at the mention of his aunt's name. Owen continued, "On the other hand, she damn near wore herself out, cleaning up that storage room, so she deserves some time to rest. And after all the times I had to pick this bint up off the floor in the morgue when your aunt was in my med-bay because she knocked over her chair, trying to get away from Natalie, maybe it's for the best that she didn't come with us." Lucas had to admit the doctor had a point. Owen went on, "I just wish I could be there when Jack and Esther send that email."

"They did that this morning, before anyone else got up," Rex observed. He nodded to Wycliffe, adding, "Start walking." At her outraged look, he repeated, "Start walking. We said we would let you go, but not _where_ we would let you go. If you make it back to town, congratulations. Especially if the other parents don't run you out of town again, this time on a rail. I'm pretty sure that even if Ava Halloran hasn't told every mother in town what you did, then Marie Havelock covered those mothers whom she missed. Start walking. Maybe you'll end up somewhere else entirely, where we can't touch you and the Pharm can't take their loss outta your hide." She blanched and started walking.

The men gathered on the bumper of the pick-up, watching her retreating figure. But Grandfather called out, "Miss Wycliffe?" The woman froze and turned around. Once she faced them again, he continued, "If I ever see you again, I'll let my daughter finish what she started, and this time, I won't bother disciplining her for losing control. I'll let her kill you, and then I'll Retcon her so she doesn't have to deal with those memories." Both Rex and Owen whistled at that, and then looked at each other darkly. Lucas thought watching those two was absolutely hysterical, better entertainment than just about anything on tv. They were more alike than they were different, and that was what caused most of the trouble between them. Emphasis on _most_ of the trouble, because there were other contributing factors. However, for now, the most interesting exchange was between his grandfather and the former teacher. The woman blanched when Grandfather mentioned letting Natalie finish what she started, and then she nodded slowly. Evidently, she wasn't in any great hurry to encounter them again, either.

Owen murmured as she turned again and began heading away from them, "I can appreciate your feelings, Director Tregarth, but I did put a lot of work into healing her cracked ribs and such." Grandfather merely smirked at him, and Owen added, "On the other hand, I really don't think she'll be coming back any time soon. And before she has to worry about Natalie, she better worry about Jack. He was not impressed with any of this mess." Rex laughed, and Owen glowered at the other man, but Rex was as unimpressed with Owen's glare as Jack was with the entire situation. Lucas rolled his eyes, and resisted the urge to advise them to have a pissing contest and be done with it. He knew his grandfather wouldn't appreciate that.

"Speaking of which," Rex said, "Wycliffe just disappeared. Harper, what are the chances that the Rift will spit her back out at some point? Not that I would blame it." Lucas looked in the direction the woman was walking, and Rex was quite correct. There was no one there, and she was far from the horizon. The Rift took her. Lucas' breath left his lungs in a rush, and he almost felt dizzy. The woman who kidnapped his little cousin, who tried to push his aunt into betraying their friend, would never again hurt another human being. It wasn't quite true, but all he could think in that moment was, '_ding dong, the witch is gone_.'

"The Rift sometimes took people in Cardiff, and returned them much later in their own timeline, even though it was only a few months or a few weeks in our timeline. Most of the time, they were in pretty shoddy shape, too. It wouldn't surprise me if a seventy year old woman shows up in a year or so, wearing those exact same clothes. I'm still in shock that you actually accepted my suggestion, Director Tregarth," Owen observed as they began walking back to the pick-up truck. Lucas' grandfather merely smiled, and Owen continued, "Yeah, I get your point. We need to get back, to see what kind of unholy insanity Jack, Ailsa, and Mij have unleashed on the house this time." Rex groaned and this time, Lucas didn't even bother holding back his laughter. Jason grinned, while Owen snickered. The boys' grandfather just smiled serenely.

The previous day, after conferring with both of Lucas' grandparents, Jack and Esther went for a ride. That was all anyone was told when they asked about the pair (although Rex grumbled something along the lines of _'is that what they're calling it now_,' only to be smacked by Lucas and Jason's mom). No one knew where they were going, or what they were planning, except for the patriarch and matriarch of the Tregarth family. Aunt Priscilla said later, that should have been their first clue. The sometimes-lovers returned about four hours later, and Jack called to Natalie and Ailsa into the kitchen. Of course, when those two were called, the rest of the family crowded into the kitchen, and so when Ailsa saw the small bundle of fur sleeping in Esther's arms, everyone heard her squeal, "**PUPPY**!" Naturally, that squeal woke up the aforementioned puppy, which began yipping and licking Esther's face and squirming in her arms.

Laughing, Esther placed the small bundle into Ailsa's arms, and Jack quietly explained as the two sat down on the floor to play with the dog that he spoke to Carlyon and Sophia, asking them if they would mind if he would get that dog Natalie was talking about when the entire mess started. Lucas couldn't hear what Natalie said in response, but the look she gave Jack pretty much said everything. She wouldn't do anything, especially now that Esther and Jack were sleeping together, but the look Natalie gave Jack made Lucas' mouth go dry. Natalie was his aunt, so he didn't want her looking at him like that, but God, he hoped one day that some woman would look at him like that.

Ailsa was too happy with her new playmate to listen when Sophia asked what the puppy's name would be, and so it was Natalie who answered softly, "Mij. Her name is Mij." When Jack pointed out that the original Mij was male, Natalie simply raised her eyebrows and smirked at him, before explaining to Lucas, Jason and Adriane about a book and movie called _Ring of Bright Water_, which came out before the four of them were even born. She glowered at Jack, adding, "And if you have any stories about the author or the actors in the movie, please, Jack, keep them to yourself!" Jack raised his hands with an innocent smile (at least, what passed for innocent with him) and said nothing.

Surprising no one, while Mij was technically Ailsa's dog, Natalie was the one who normally took care of her. Lucas' youngest aunt seemed more than all right with that, although the young medic had a feeling it was as much due to the fact that her two older sisters made nearly as big a fuss over Mij as anyone in the house. While Jack and Esther gave Mij to Ailsa, the truth was, the little corgi was the family dog. It wouldn't surprise Lucas, either, if it turned out that Mij ended up being the Torchwood mascot. Twice since her arrival, Lucas witnessed Ailsa putting Mij beside (or on top) of a resting family member, before crawling up beside that person. She was especially fond of doing that to Owen and Jack, for reasons known only to Ailsa. However, Lucas could guess. Just like her mother, Ailsa was even more protective of Jack since Wycliffe tried to take Ailsa, vowing once or twice to 'beat their butts,' the next time the Pharm, or anyone else, tried to hurt Jack using Ailsa or her mother or anyone else. When Lucas heard that, he had to duck out of the room before he burst out laughing and likely hurt the little girl's feelings.

With every crisis that Torchwood South endured and mastered, Lucas was sure that whenever things did change, like Jack was always saying, Torchwood really would be ready. The Families were still out there, but if the least trained of them could stay strong and loyal when her entire world was threatened, the institute would stand firm. He didn't fear threats from outside; no, Jason and Grandfather both said that it was the threats from the inside you had to fear, and Lucas believed them. So long as they stayed true to each other, they could endure anything.

TWTWTWTWTW

Gloucester, England

Five days after the botched abduction of Ailsa Tregarth

"And there's nothing left except this video?"

"Nothing at all. Harkness and his people were quite thorough with that virus they created. The only thing left, after the virus did its work, was the email itself and the video. It wouldn't surprise me at all if that was the whole purpose. He knew there were others involved with the Pharm, even if it was simply watching them to see what kind of trouble they caused. Even though our firewalls protected us, it was still a message beyond the Pharm. And he made a point of telling those fools exactly what Natalie Tregarth is capable of doing," was the response.

The new Patriarch of the Families folded his arms over his chest, studying the cold expression of Captain Jack Harkness as he held the child close to him. Since the death of his older sister at the hands of Oswald Danes months ago, it was his responsibility to put the pieces back together. And slowly, he was doing that, putting the Families back on track. He saw now where his sister made her mistakes. First and foremost, targeting anyone who mattered to Harkness (a mistake which the Patriarch made, even though Harkness didn't know that. Yet). If he remained off-planet, they might have succeeded. They would not repeat that mistake.

"Has Miss Kitzinger had any luck with her special project?" he asked next as he motioned to the tech to close down the program. He was rewarded with a negative response. The Patriarch sighed. Well, it was to be expected, he supposed. And Harkness already warned them that approaching Natalie Tregarth would yield no fruit, even if they followed that foolish woman's example and took her daughter. On the contrary, the youngest child of Carlyon Tregarth would likely react very powerfully against them if they attempted another kidnapping. It was a pity she was on the wrong side. Yes, quite a pity she was on the wrong side.

"No, sir. Jillian Kitzinger reported in yesterday, and informed us that not only would the prisoner not agree to help us, but she considers us to be far worse monsters than her father. She also threw her lunch at Jillian and told her to stay away," was the somewhat predictable response. The Patriarch would have grimaced, but he honestly expected to hear that. Their prisoner was never especially cooperative, even when they first lured her into their trap. Well, there was no help for it. That didn't mean, however, that the Kitzinger Project was a total and complete waste. On the contrary, there were more possibilities to be explored.

"Tell Miss Kitzinger to keep her alive for now. She may yet prove to be useful to us. At the very least, we can see if she has inherited anything of her father's uniqueness. And when the time comes, we might use her as bait to lure her father to us once more. Oh yes. She may yet prove useful to us. If it becomes necessary to force-feed her, tell Miss Kitzinger to do so. If nothing else, she has certainly inherited her father's stubbornness," the Patriarch instructed. The tech nodded and began typing up an email to do just that.

The Patriarch continued staring at the grim, determined visage of Jack Harkness. Oh yes, sister dear made a serious error in underestimating not only him, but Rex Matheson and Esther Drummond. Although, to be fair, he made a similar error with the young blonde analyst. He assumed because she was still green, she'd be easily manipulated. That mistake would not be made again. He failed to take the girl's past into account. There was another, though, was so easy to manipulate, it was almost nauseating. One would think, given the spectacle she made of herself, she would be far tougher. But, as was so often the case, the ones who made the greatest spectacles of themselves were the first to fall.

That could wait. There was plenty of time, after all. The Families waited for more than eighty years to create the Miracle. They could wait until Harkness and the Tregarths stopped looking over their shoulders. However, in the meantime, there was groundwork to be laid and lessons to be taught. He told the tech, "Once you're finished with the email to Miss Kitzinger, if you would be so kind as to dispatch a Cousin to Cardiff. Thanks to the thief Colasanto, the remnants of Torchwood Three's Hub have been stripped bare, but there are other things and people to be used there. There were always people willing to do anything for money, especially with the still-sluggish economy, and those who wouldn't do anything for money still had a price.

Oh yes. The Families would rise again. But before they could do that, they would need to collect blood from Jack Harkness a second time, and once they had what they would need, they would contain him. The tech informed him, "The emails you requested have been sent, sir. One to Jillian, and one to the Cousin who is stationed closest to Cardiff. Is there anything else you need me to do before I return to my scheduled tasks?" The Patriarch tapped his fingers against the computer chair, thinking about the groundwork he was placing.

At last, he replied, "Yes. Start searching for a place where we can contain Captain Harkness once the time comes. Preferably underground, where it's less likely that he'll be found. Once you've created a list of twenty likely sites, you may return to what you were doing before we were notified of this most recent mess created by the Pharm." He wished briefly that he didn't issue the order that killed Olivia Colasanto. She might have proven useful, after all, given her support of the Pharm. However, things said could not be unsaid, things done could not be undone, and he could only move forward.

The tech immediately got to work, and the Patriarch began drifting away from that section. He was imagining the new world which the Families would create. Once Harkness was contained and out of the picture, he could destroy the Tregarths and Torchwood as a whole. Once every last member of that damn institute was dead, a new version of the Miracle would be created and then the Families would control the earth, just as they were meant to do all along. The Families were rising once more, and this time, there would be no power on Earth to stop them. The Doctor whom Harkness so revered wouldn't do anything to stop them, and the being who first offered his help to create the Miracle, so long ago, was either dead or no longer on the planet. The Families would have free rein.

Or so he thought.

To be concluded


	9. Epilog:Another Step into a Greater World

Author's Notes: And here we have the epilogue, in which Owen and Esther discuss their respective and combined relationships with Jack; Natalie says 'thank you;' while Carlyon and Sophia continue to mend their relationship. The next story is being outlined, so it may be a few weeks before I get that up. I'm hoping to use that time to get back to work on my _Torchwood/Transformers_ crossover series, _Worlds Apart_.

Epilogue

Another Step into a Greater World

Community Center of Dupres, Oklahoma

December 2011

Six days after the botched abduction of Ailsa Tregarth

This was a wonderful way to end a week and a case. Dr. Owen Harper leaned against the wall of the community center, smiling as he watched the dancing couples. Mentally, he accounted for all of his teammates, all except Lucas Martinelli, who volunteered to remain at the house and monitor both the Rift and Mij. At the moment, Jack was on the dance floor with Sophia Tregarth, while her husband danced with their oldest daughter. Jason Martinelli was dancing little Ailsa around on his hip. Matheson disappeared about half an hour earlier with Octavia Tregarth to do some reconnoitering. Owen asked innocently, "Is that what you're calling it now?" Octavia simply laughed and dragged Matheson after her, before he could growl at Owen.

"Not out on the dance floor, Owen?" Esther asked, taking up position beside him against the wall. He smiled and shook his head, wondering why this didn't feel more awkward. In a manner of speaking, they were sharing Jack, and despite what his captain thought, Owen wasn't really joking about the threesome. It was different, from when he stole the alien pheromones from the Hub, shortly before Suzie killed herself. Maybe part of it was because he was still feeling a bit clingy, and maybe it was because Esther was a beautiful young woman, but he was definitely interested in a three-way with her and Jack. She continued, "I understand. I got tired of having to step on Rex's toes every time he brought up my relationship with Jack … which was about every thirty seconds. And no, that's not an exaggeration, I counted." Owen snorted at that, and Esther grinned, adding, "Of course, that was about the time that Jack was taking Priscilla for a spin around the dance floor, making sure he saved his best moves for when they were in viewing distance of Priscilla's ex-boyfriend."

Owen snickered, remembering the dance in question … as well as Will's reaction to seeing Jack dancing with Priscilla. Natalie maneuvered herself into a position where she could take a picture of her older sister's erstwhile boyfriend staring at Priscilla and Jack. Owen had a sneaking suspicion that the youngest Tregarth sister would figure out a way for the entire town to see that picture, and Facebook or MySpace or Twitter would only be the beginning. Natalie had a decidedly wicked streak, and threats or insults to her family members were the best way to bring said streak out. It was one of the things Owen loved most about her. Jack usually compared Esther to Tosh, but Nat had a few things in common with their late tech wizard as well.

"I'm having more fun here, watching the crowd and the rest of the team. Especially when Nicky started dancing with your nieces. Or when you and Jack were dancing. You look stunning, by the way," Owen said, giving her an appreciative once-over. Her blonde hair was loose about her shoulders, and she wore a short black dress that showed off her legs quite nicely (as did the black stiletto heels, which he heard Octavia call 'fuck me' heels). Owen didn't know the first thing about women's fashion or anything of that nature, but his words were true, nonetheless. She looked absolutely gorgeous, and Owen observed more than one bloke eyeing Jack with envy when he danced with Esther. On the other hand, those blokes' ladies were eyeing Esther with an equal amount of envy during those same dances.

"Thanks! Everyone looks nice, though. And Natalie … I'm so glad Sophia talked her into wearing that white evening gown. I don't know about you, but I've seen quite a few jaws hit the ground when they saw her tonight," Esther replied. She was all but bouncing in place, which made Owen worry about the likelihood of her twisting, breaking or rolling her ankle. However, she settled down without hurting herself. Still, Owen had to smile at her obvious excitement. In some ways, Natalie and Esther seemed like the least likely friends anyone could imagine. But very good friends they were, perhaps due to those months Natalie spent undercover.

"She looks wonderful. Has Jack pulled her onto the dance floor yet?" Owen asked and Esther shook her head, rolling her eyes with obvious exasperation. However, there was a bit of amusement in her exasperation … more than a bit, actually … and an equal amount of affection. Owen added, "Maybe I should rephrase that … has Jack succeeded in pulling her out onto the dance floor?" He witnessed Natalie begging off at least once, after she finished dancing with Nicky Halloran. The boy looking thrilled to dance with an older woman.

"No, and I'm starting to think he'll need to pick her up physically. Either that, or throw down the gauntlet. You know how she can be," Esther replied and Owen huffed a little at that. Yeah, he did. Jack warned when he first arrived back on his home Earth that Natalie didn't see herself as particularly attractive, but it wasn't until tonight that he believed the immortal. However, he knew that her skittishness was due as much to the hell they just went through as her feelings for Jack and her negative self-image. Natalie told him that she didn't have a negative self-image, she just knew she wasn't attractive. Owen nearly smacked his head on the wall at that.

"I would tell you not to exaggerate, but I know Natalie better than that. Are the '_what might have been_' scenarios still giving her nightmares?" Owen asked. Esther's smile disappeared and she nodded, dark eyes blazing. Yeah, he kinda got that impression. When she came down this morning, there were some rather unsightly circles under her eyes and she never let Ailsa or Jack out of her sight for the first few hours. Which meant that the most recent nightmare was one of the worst ones yet: or, as Sophia called it, a real doozy.

On the plus side, regardless of how the nightmares were affecting her ability to sleep, she retained some of her good sense. When Jack apologized for the hell she went through, Natalie stared at him incredulously, before saying, '_why are you apologizing? You did nothing wrong, Jack, and I don't want you to ever apologize to me for doing the right thing ago. Yes, my daughter became a target, but they chose to make her a target, you didn't. You have nothing to apologize to me for_.' Ailsa sealed the deal with one of her customary Ailsa-lunges, the ones that Jack had to grab her before she landed headfirst on the ground. That was probably the point, knowing the little brat. As soon as he grabbed her, Ailsa wrapped her little body around him, kissed his cheek and told him quite firmly to stop being so silly. Owen nearly laughed himself sick at the stunned expression on Jack's face. Apparently, he'd never been told off by a child.

"Yeah. Octavia told her that would be the case for a while. She said that it was normal. It sucked beyond all suckage, as she put it, but it was normal. Oh, and she also said that Natalie wasn't to assume that those nightmares made her weak; it made her a human being. But I really think Rex helped by not walking on eggshells with her, and telling her that in her position, he couldn't have done much better. That meant a lot to her," Esther replied. Owen just grunted. He couldn't argue with Esther there, but he wished it was him who came up with those words. Owen supposed this weird little rivalry he had with Matheson was stupid, but damn, he was annoying! There was a time when Owen gave Jack a hard time about the way he dressed, but after seeing other styles of dress (_wink wink nudge nudge, cough cough_), it just seemed stupid. And after the first time he heard Lucas and Jason Martinelli refer to their mother's boyfriend as 'CIA,' Owen gleefully took up the banner, and Matheson was 'CIA' ever since then.

"Yeah, well, even when he's right, he's wrong," Owen finally observed, trying very hard to be annoyed at Esther's obvious amusement. The doctor continued after a moment, "Well, he is! And oh, do you see what I see out there? He didn't have to go all caveman on her after all!" He grinned as Jack led a laughing Natalie out onto the dance floor as the next song began. Owen turned to Esther, asking, "May I have this dance? I think we have some custody issues to work out, with regard to our field team leader. Because, quite frankly, Esther Drummond, I haven't given up on the notion of talking you into a threesome with Jack." Esther accepted his hand, her eyebrows nearly disappearing into her hairline as he led her out onto the dance floor, a short distance from where Jack and Natalie were now dancing.

"As I recall, Dr. Harper, you haven't asked me yet. Because I do believe I would have said 'yes,' if you asked. If only because I'm extremely curious about what a threesome would be like. It might be a bit awkward, though. I tend to see you more as an older brother, sort of the way I've come to see Rex. It might be strange, sleeping with a man I see as a brother," Esther replied. Owen smirked at that, wondering if he should tell her about the time he 'propositioned' Ianto and Tosh when it looked like it was the end of the world. Ianto's muttered, '_and I thought the end of the world couldn't get any worse_' still made him laugh when he thought about it.

"Well, you know, we wouldn't have to touch each other. From what I hear, we both like to take charge in bed. Now, don't look at me that way … Jack has never talked about your 'dances,' Esther. However, I do have ears and you don't always think to close the trap door before you shove Jack onto the bed in the bunkhouse," Owen replied. Esther blushed and she ducked her head, just a bit. Owen continued, "So, I'm thinking I take the back and you take the front, and we meet in the middle? I admit, not touching you would take some of the fun out of it, but we could make it a competition, see which of us can turn Jack into a puddle of goo first?"

"This has to be the most surreal conversation I've had on a dance floor, and Lord knows we're not being entirely fair to Jack, but … you're on," Esther replied. Owen snickered and began to lay out his plans. He'd been thinking about this for a few days, ever since he realized that Esther finally made her last move, and rather than turn him off, it turned him on. And maybe later, he'd ask Adriane to dance. He noticed the way she looked at him while he was holding up the wall earlier. Maybe it was time to take another step into the world he was born into.

TWTWTWTWTW

She knew as soon as the familiar blue shirt and dark trousers appeared in her line of sight that the next man to approach her for a dance would be Jack. She also knew that she wouldn't turn him down this time. A quick glance onto the dance floor reassured her that Ailsa was now in Nicky's arms, while Jason was dancing with one of Esther's nieces … oh, and Natalie's father was now dancing with the other little Drummond girl. She smiled as Jack bowed to her, asking, "May I have the honor of this dance?" It was utterly ridiculous, but it was very much Jack, and that made everything all right.

"The honor would be all mine. So long as you don't mind having your feet stepped on," Natalie answered dryly, slipping her hand into his. He responded with one of his most devastating smiles, and Natalie sternly ordered her knees not to go weak. Of course, they didn't listen, and how pathetic was it that she was starting to number Jack's smiles? Her new dance partner led her onto the dance floor and slipped his free arm around her waist. She smiled up at him shyly, before looking back down at her feet, to make sure she didn't actually put them anywhere they weren't meant to be. She really wasn't a very good dancer.

"'Scuse me, eyes are up here!" Jack chided, in what Octavia took to calling his '_half-in-fun and full-in-earnest_' tone. Then again, one thing that Natalie learned about Jack Harkness during the last few months: just about everything the man said was half in fun and full in earnest. She tore her eyes away from her feet, and looked back up at Jack's face. And oh, God, it was so unfair. He was so damn beautiful, his eyes were filled with tenderness and compassion and sadness, and so Natalie took a page from his book, by taking refuge in her sense of humor.

"Isn't that my line?" she teased dryly and Jack rewarded her with a laugh that sent shudders through her. Dammit, it was so bloody unfair, because that wasn't even the sexy laugh that made her ruin at least one pair of panties! However, she dutifully kept her eyes on his, just as she made sure that the hand on his shoulder remained there, instead of taking a wander down south. She swallowed hard, remembering how he teased her about taking a grope while they were waiting for Ailsa and her former teacher. God, had it really been only days?

"Hey … it's okay. It's over now, your daughter is safe, that woman can never hurt either of you again, and you're something of a local heroine," Jack said, his arm tightening around her. Natalie laughed a little at that. She wouldn't go that far, although several of the local mothers did corner her and tell her that whatever her family did to convince Lola Wycliffe to leave town, she saved the community and the school board a nice chunk of change. Funny, that aspect never even occurred to Natalie. She just wanted the woman gone, and away from her child.

"I'm not sure if I ever thanked you, Jack, for everything you did that day. Everything's kind of a blur, so I'm really not sure of what I said and what I did after you pulled me off her. And that was for me, not for her, wasn't it?" she asked. Jack merely smiled at her, eyes filled with an ancient sadness. He didn't speak. He didn't have to. She knew from her parents, and from her sisters, as well as Rex, Owen, and Esther, that Jack was no stranger to regrets for things done and undone. Natalie squeezed his shoulder, not knowing what else to do, whispering, "Thank you. I hope one day to do something for you."

"Oh, Nat. You already _have_," Jack answered softly. Natalie shook her head, because she didn't do anything special; really, didn't do anything for him. But Jack was just as stubborn as she was and he reminded her, "The night we found out the whole story behind 1965, don't you remember what you did? You brought my coat and a bottle of water out to me. Didn't say a word, just gave me what I needed at that moment in time and a quick note, but that meant the world to me. I knew then that you would respect my wishes, but would be there for me if I needed you, and sometimes, that's the greatest gift you can give anyone. And when Ailsa was taken, you trusted me. Don't you _ever_ underestimate the gifts you've given to me." His voice was hushed, as if speaking of something which deserved reverence.

Natalie blinked back tears, and Jack released her waist and hand … but it was to cup her face in his hands and lightly kiss her forehead. The next piece to play was one of Natalie's favorites, Meacham's '_American Patrol_,' and Jack asked, "Another dance?" She smiled up at him and nodded eagerly. Jack smiled back and proceeded to demonstrate once and for all exactly how good he was at dancing, even when his partner would probably trip over her own feet under normal circumstances. By the time the composition ended, Natalie was sure that she would be breathless from exertion and laughter.

This morning, she awakened screaming as once more, her over-active imagination provided horrifying scenarios of what could have happened, if not for Jack's timely reminder about Morse code. And now, she was dancing in that same man's arms. She still couldn't believe he forgave her … but she was so terribly, painfully grateful for that. Maybe it would make it easier for her to forgive herself, in time.

TWTWTWTWTWTW

"Do you know what would make things perfect?" Carlyon Tregarth mused to his wife, as they watched their youngest daughter dance with their oldest friend. He was absurdly pleased when Sophia shook her head, before resting her cheek against his shoulder. His relationship with his wife was still recovering from the revelations that rocked their family, but it was recovering. And Sophia told him, weeping just a little, that the day Lola Wycliffe tried to take away their granddaughter and drive a wedge into the new Torchwood team, was also the first day their baby girl called her 'mama.' She was half-asleep at the time, and hadn't called her that again since, but they were taking baby steps. And that made Carlyon nearly as happy as his healing relationship with his wife did.

"What's that, m'love?" Sophia asked, tucking herself against his side and under his arm. Carlyon smiled and pressed a light kiss to her forehead, and then gazed back out at the dance floor. Natalie was dancing with Jack; Octavia was off with Rex (and Carlyon was trying very hard not to think about what they were doing); while Priscilla was dancing with Nicky Halloran, the latter of whom was beaming so brightly, his face put the sun to shame. Apparently, the teenager was having a _very_ good night. And like Jack, Carlyon noticed the number of local mothers who approached their daughter over the course of the night.

"Nothing. Absolutely nothing, except for Lucas being here, but I can understand why he wanted to remain at the house. Regardless of what happens in the future, tonight our children are happy. Our children are happy, our friends are safe and well. And do you know what I heard Natalie tell Jack this morning, when she was barely awake after her nightmare?" Carlyon asked. Sophia shook her head with a faint smile, and he continued, "She said, '_you're okay_?' Jack asked her if she wanted him to be okay, and she responded, '_I want you to be okay, I want you to be safe, I want you to be happy_.' I can't think of anyone better able to take care of himself than Jack, but our daughter told him that she wanted him to be okay, happy, and safe."

"People reveal themselves when they're drunk, exhausted or find their backs against the wall," his wife observed, her lips quirking. They had this conversation before … usually, when she was talking about the things she learned from tipsy diplomats as a girl. Carlyon smiled at Sophia, who continued, "My question is, what do you think that reveals about Natalie?" The director smirked a little as he thought about his daughter cleaning up what she could of the storage room a few days earlier. Since much of the larger items were still in the room (such as the exercise equipment), she was limited in where she could work and what she could clean. That didn't stop her, however, from cleaning what she could … including the exercise equipment.

"That she wants Jack to be safe, happy, and okay," Carlyon answered, and nearly laughed aloud at his wife's exasperated expression. Until just now, he never realized how much he missed that expression. Carlyon went on, "Do I think it means she's ready to go into the field yet? No. She's a good shot … well, really, an excellent shot. She did an outstanding job undercover, despite our grandsons' assertions that she's incapable of lying. She just needs a little more time around Jack and Rex. I'm not concerned with her ability to follow Jack's instructions in the field, or with her ability to listen to Owen, but I am concerned with her ability to follow Rex's instructions, especially since she's corrected him a few times."

"Were her facts the correct ones?" Sophia asked, arching a brow. They were, but that wasn't the point. Sophia asked next, "Was she disrespectful when she corrected Rex?" Well, no, but again, that wasn't the point. Sophia smirked up at him, asking, "How did he react when she corrected him, was he upset or grateful?" Carlyon simply glowered at her, and Sophia observed, "Yeah, that's what I thought. Carlyon, I know that you want to protect her, and that you want to make sure that you don't favor her over the others. I know that, I understand that. But you're making up excuses. If you don't think she's ready to go into the field, say so. If you're worried about a mother being out in the field and Natalie being hurt as Octavia was, I understand that, too. If she doesn't think she's ready, that's fine, too. But don't hide behind excuses that have nothing to do with Natalie. That isn't who our daughter is, and she deserves better from us. I've only been awake for a few months, and I know that. You and Priscilla, you did a great job with her."

"Mostly Priscilla," he pointed out, before admitting, "I'm not ready for her to go into the field, and I don't think she's ready to go into the field, either. She's still getting the paperwork and her administrative duties straightened out, and I don't want to overwhelm her, any more than she already is. I'm not ready for my little girl to go into the field." She smiled at him, and he muttered, "Now you're satisfied." Sophia offered him a wide grin, one that reminded him of their granddaughter when she got something she wanted. Like Mij. Or help in putting Mij on Owen or Jack's respective chests while they were asleep.

"I just want you to be honest with yourself and with me, Carlyon. That's all. Like when you went to Jack and subtly hinted that our branch could handle a dog. Oh yes. I know you, Carlyon, and I knew that you dropped a hint with Jack, along with a brochure for that farm for rescued animals," Sophia replied with a mischievous grin. Carlyon sighed. As his older grandchildren would say, he was _so _busted. Sophia threw back her head and laughed, saying, "I can't decide who is more wrapped around Ailsa's little pinkie finger: you, Jack, the boys, Rex, or Owen. Because yes, even Rex is wrapped around our youngest granddaughter's pinkie finger." Yes, he was and it was something that Jack took great pleasure in teasing him about. And that was quite typical of Jack.

"One thing you are very good at, my dear, is keeping me honest," Carlyon replied, kissing her forehead. Sophia just smiled. She wasn't the only one, but she was the most efficient at it. She had so many years of practice, after all. This was why he added in a low tone, "And I wasn't entirely honest earlier, when I said nothing could make things more perfect than they are right now. The only thing that could make things perfect is if I could make love to my stunningly beautiful wife, without fearing that it would give me a heart attack." Sophia lightly caressed his face, her eyes reflecting love and sadness.

"Well, that worries me, too. So, why don't we do the next best thing, and show how these children how to dance?" Sophia asked. Carlyon's mouth went dry and Sophia added, "Well, aside from Jack, you have to admit, none of these youngsters know how to dance." They hadn't danced in years, not since the night Sophia told Carlyon about Natalie, that they would have a third child. Oh, there were many nights when Jack danced with Sophia as her pregnancy advanced and her self-esteem took a nose-dive. But not Carlyon. As his wife held her hand out to him, Carlyon regretted that. He regretted that so much.

"My dear Sophia, I would be honored to dance with you," he answered huskily, and took the proffered hand to lead her onto the dance floor. This was a perfect night. All three of his daughters were happy, his grandchildren had no shortage of partners, and Sheriff Grant quietly informed him that the Wycliffe case was closed. _Mind you_, she said softly, _I don't hold with vigilantism. But I don't know for sure that's what happened. Ava Halloran tells me that you're good people, and I have a lot of respect for Miss Ava. Just … mind you don't step over that line_. He acknowledged the warning, and promised he'd be very mindful of that line.

But it was a beautiful night, the people he loved were happy (and safe), and his amazing Sophia was in his arms. The quiet couldn't last. And so, he would keep this night as a talisman, for the terrible nights ahead, for the horrifying decisions he knew would need to be made by someone. They were all taking another step into a greater world, and only Jack knew more about that greater world. The twenty-first century was when everything changed: he, Jack, and Sophia would make sure they were ready.

Fin


End file.
